Greetings in the Name of the Lord God, King of the universe, King of Glory, King over all. Reminding myself of who He IS brings a different level of assurance to my heart, and I hope it does for you as well. He truly is Almighty.
Before I talk about what’s happening, I need to finish getting us caught up from the last several months. For the second year in a row, we had a very generous donation of supplies sent from Señorita Horne’s Spanish classes at Eden Christian Academy. They held a drive in their clase to send supplies to help the families of the children in our sponsorship program. The donation of shampoo, soap, desoderante, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and more helped las familias keep healthy hygiene while also relieving the financial burden of purchasing those things themselves. It was a gesture of love and care, and we were especially glad to read all the cards they wrote to send along with the supplies.
In addition to supplies sent from Pittsburgh, we were blessed by a visiting group sent from Pittsburgh. We used to receive groups often from North Way Christian Community, the church I grew up in. The love of God poured out through the various visitors we’ve received throughout the years has sown seeds in the lives of these children and their families. This group had a different experience as the children are older now, mostly teenagers. I was curious to see how they would interact, and was encouraged to witness loving relationships formed. The children got to practice their English, a few group members practiced some Spanish, and the universal language of hugs and laughter displayed the joy of being together.
As part of the group’s routine, we had daily sessions of Bible study, prayer, and worship. The Holy Spirit moved in some mighty ways to bring healing and restoration in the lives of those who came to serve, and our faith was strengthened through our time with Him. We also had the opportunity to share dinner with the families in their homes. Sitting around a table, playing “I spy” in English, hearing each others stories, and sharing a meal created enduring memories for both the visitors and the hosts. Another unique blessing was for Jessenia, as one of the team members is also pregnant and due around the same time. I believe they encouraged each other in a special way, and our children will be born very close to each other, perhaps forming a bond of their own. As the end of the trip approached, I was especially thankful that one of the LORD’s focuses in our Bible study was equipping the team to stand in spiritual battle. They grew in wisdom, knowledge and understanding as the Spirit directed our prayer times, preparing them to intercede for ministry in Nicaragua and at home.
The night we went to dinner at Bianca, Jeremy and Vanessa Mayorga’s house, I had an unexpected reunion with Jan. You may recall Jan was in our ministry from age 4-14. He is cousins with the Mayorgas and lives on the same street. I hadn’t seen him since he decided to leave our ministry two years ago. At first, he didn’t want to talk to me. When he did, anger came out. He directed it at me, at the other ladies who cared for him, and then at himself. He told me what he had gone through since leaving the ministry, and I shared my pain and regret at his decisions and the consequences of his choices. We both went through quite a roller coaster of emotion before getting to a warm embrace. We probably spent about an hour together, and I feel it was deeply healing for the both of us. In fact, his older sister, Brittany (who was also in our ministry several years ago), was the one who made our conversation happen. She knew he needed it, and that it would be good for him. I praise God she did, as it blessed me as well.
Another fun occurrence has been Tatiana coming back into our lives. I’ve shared about her son being in our school sponsorship program and our ongoing prayers for her second son’s complete healing from cancer. What I’ve yet to share is that she started to work with us in the tutoring program. The same week the group was visiting was the week she took the place of Iris, who just graduated college and got a job in her field. Tati is working with Elizabeth, who has been faithfully serving as a tutor with us for 7 years. Elizabeth actually tutored Tati when she was a teenager in our ministry. We are extremely thankful for Elizabeth and her heart for the children. She loves them and they know it. She also knows them and how they need to be pushed and prodded. She says that the fit with Tati as a tutor has been quite natural, since the children always looked up to her as an older sister. Tati has no qualms telling them what to do or letting them know she’s angry if they’re not working. It’s really pretty remarkable to see the transition from teenager to adult, from in the ministry to working in the ministry.
This coming week will be Bianca and Noel’s last full week of school. They have exams all week, so please pray for them in that process, but then they are essentially done. It’s quite an amazing feat. Noel is a great young man who we’re very proud of for his hard work and growth over the past two years. He is grateful and appreciative, as well as proud of being able to do things himself. Bianca was 5 years old when she entered our ministry. Her first year ended with a kindergarten graduation! Now here we are, 12 years later, with a 17 year-old about to graduate high school. Of course her mom will be proud, we are proud of her, and I really hope that you are, too. Your prayers, support and financial giving have been essential in getting us here. What a blessing it is to share together in this joyful, momentous occasion. Please recognize your role. It takes a village, as they say, even if the village folk live countries away. We are one in the Father, one in the Son, and one in the Spirit. There is no end to His Kingdom, and there is no village He can’t reach. He reached from your prayer place to our village here, and we thank you. Great is His Faithfulness!