Recent happenings...

1 Year in Central America (Sat. Feb. 15th)

6 Months in Nicaragua (Tues. Feb. 18th) 

This is literally my friend's backyard! 

Every Monday night since probably September I have had the joy of getting to know the missionary community/NCA teachers at Monday Night Dinner hosted by a beautiful family.  Homemade food + making new friends = A great way to start each week!  

Got to watch the Superbowl with these lovely ladies!  Maggie is one of the girls I meet with weekly and her mom is my Bible study leader on Tuesday nights.  So much love! 

Our first club of 2014 took place at the Burger King (two-stories, nicest BK I've ever seen!)

The next club was in honor of the Winter Olympics in Russia so of course we had mustaches to celebrate! 

The premiere of the Duct Tape Sisters - Sticky & Stuck 

What an honor it is to be the reoccurring skit character to get kids excited about camp! (Things I never thought I'd be: Ghetto and a reoccurring character)

Young Life staff has given me a flexible schedule in the mornings so I was lucky enough to fill in for the PE teacher at NCA a couple weeks ago.  Playing tag with 3 year olds is good for the soul. 

We had a leader retreat at the beach a few weekends ago - student leaders, volunteers and staff all coming together to learn how to lead as a team with the love that only comes from Jesus.  It was a sweet weekend filled with lots of laughter, beach time and strong community. Thankful to be a part of this team! 

Boys will be boys even when they turn into men.

My team is AWESOME! 

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Home.

Home is an interesting concept to me these days.  I've made an effort not to refer to the US as home in order to encourage myself to think of Managua as home.  After only 4 short months, I truly believe by God’s grace, I can call Managua home but not because I don’t still consider North Carolina home.

We all know those cheesy one liners, “Home is where the heart is” or the most recent “Home is where I am with you” and these must have become popular because they ring true for so many of us.  Now, don’t get confused, I don’t have any one person that encourages me to call any one place home but I believe that the community that God surrounds me with wherever I go helps me to call each new place home.  

Asheville will always be home because my family is still there, the house I grew up in is there, my life long friends are (kind of) there, the memories I have start from there.  I love going back to the mountains.  I love spending time with family and seeing old friends.  Asheville is home. 

Raleigh is also home.  Raleigh is where I started to become the woman I am still becoming.  God used my 6+ years there to help me know him better.  He showed me what it means to live in sweet community.  He showed me what it is to love him beyond anything else and without anything else.  For anyone who has gone to college, you understand that the college community is unmatchable.  The friends I made in Raleigh will also be lifelong friends.  Go Wolfpack! Raleigh is home. 

Managua is home.  Managua is quirky with it’s ox carts (that make me laugh every time which is almost daily), its apparent chaos yet somehow slower paced life.  Managua is teaching me so much and I know the lessons will just keep coming.  The community that surrounds me here is new and different.  It’s people from many cultures who teach me more about how dynamic God is.  Managua is home. 

Home to me now means the glimpses of heaven, glimpses of the ways it was always meant to be.  The laughter at the Christmas dinner table with family, the late night chats with friends, the Young Life Winter Training/New Staff worship where 500 voices proclaim the goodness of our God, the warm sun and the cool breeze, the way things are meant to be.  

Now, let’s be honest, all of these places also have their qualms about them too.  The weather, the traffic, the bugs, the lack of this or the too much of that, and these things also help me to remember that there is more to life than the homes we create for ourselves on earth.  I don’t have to choose any of these to be HOME because none of them really are.  All of them remind me of what’s the come, the new Heaven and the new Earth.  The day we get to reconciled to God.  The day everything will be made new, set right.  So, until that day comes, I will be thankful for the many places that I get to call home.  The many gifts that point me back to Jesus.  The many people who reflect Him.  The many places that long to be set right with the Father in the same way I do.  

What are you celebrating this year?

As the year comes to a close, Vida Joven of Central Managua is planning their Liderazgo Navideño (Christmas Leadership) and the question they asked each team/school/barrio to be prepared to answer is, "What are you celebrating this year?" and to me that questions is H-U-G-E.  This year has been one to be celebrated and I couldn't be more thankful.  Let's review:

January: Fully funded face - need I say more?

February: Moved to Costa Rica where my big adventure began. 

March: Was studying Spanish in language school and dreams came true: I HELD A TOUCAN!  I was also participating in Young Life and Wyld Life and even went on Service Project over spring break.  

April: My sister came to visit me in Costa Rica after I took a trip to Nicaragua with Ella.  We got to see the ministry in action and help out with a Vida Joven "growth camp" that weekend.  People that I know better now remember me from that weekend and have asked me, "Why were you so shy?!" haha

 

May: My full trimester of language school started and Young Life took a summer break.  I would say May was my month to celebrate my new friendships. 

June: MY BIRTHDAY!  Celebrating with my host family and friends on my actual birthday and then took a visa trip to Panama.  One of my favorite birthdays to date! 

July: While celebrating my favorite holiday from afar (4th of July that is), I participated on Work Crew for 4 days straight and loved every bit of it minus the 4:30 am wake up calls. 

Watermelon lolly pops to celebrate the 4th of July on the bus ride to camp. 

August: Graduated from language school and The BIG move!  I finally made it to Nicaragua! So much celebrate in August: A place to live with a great gringo family, a new to me car, jumping right into ministry, being a part of a great team, and on and on it goes.  

September: Was a little bit quieter than previous months but I think what I celebrate from September is getting into the swing of things with life in Nicaragua.  Hanging out with and getting to know these girls more is a huge celebration!  We also had a student leader retreat  (There are plenty more not pictured but we just haven't had that many photo ops together...yet!) 

October: I got the sweet opportunity to travel back to Costa Rica for a few days on my way to the Dominican Republic (tickets were cheaper from CR to DR than Nica to DR and it was a good excuse for a mini vacation).  I visited my host family :) and hung out with friends and read books while it rained outside - just what I need after so many adventures.  In the DR we had an ISchools staff retreat where I finally got to meet the rest of the DR YL team and enjoy some time at the beach.  It was a week of rest and restoration that brought healing.  

November: The month I moved out of my last "host family" home.  I have been blessed for the last year + to live with other families - one in Raleigh, another in San Jose and finally one here in Managua.  It's amazing how the love of the Lord compels people to invite me into their house and let me be a part of their family.  I moved into my little casita at the beginning of the month but celebrated Thanksgiving with the Izzos (my Managua host family, if you will).  I am so thankful for that family!  Also, Ella and our friend Jen came to visit in Nica - one of the first official signs that ELLA WILL BE HERE SOON! (She brought some suitcases.)  

I just love these girls and wanted to include them in my celebration blog.  They are Vida Joven leaders from Managua and they have loved me well already! 

December: Decembe has just begun so I don't have any fancy photos to share with you but this month I will celebrate Ella coming officially, going to La Finca for a training camp with all of Central America Vida Joven, I will return to the states for about 3 1/2 weeks for Christmas, hanging out with friends and family and saying thank you to all of my donors. 

This year is one to remember and has given me an abundance of things to celebrate.  

YL Clubs of the Year So Far

One of the major tools we use in Young Life is club.  Club is an event each week where we go to a kid's houses where we play games, sing songs and finish with an introduction of who Jesus is.  Some people in YL like to call it a party with a purpose because we always have a great time and it's an opportunity to show kids that loving Jesus can be fun! 

Club Puro Pinolero 

Puro pinolero = Pure Nicaraguan 

The week before Nicaragua's independence day, our club was themed after everything Nicaraguan.  We sang songs in Spanish (which we normally sing in English), drank Pinol (a typical Nica drink that tastes like chocolate milk & cinnamon), and the girls taught me to dance after club was over.  

Explosion Club

Boys v. Girls trivia - I was the timer, pumping a balloon
 with confetti and they had to rotate - like in Catchphrase -
 guys and girls until the balloon popped. 

Ever tried Coke Zero and Mentos? 

It REALLY works! 

What's Explosion Club without
sparklers and REAL fireworks? 

Color Wars Club

The talk was about Jesus dying on the cross, taking
all our mess (the paint)
 and making us new in Jesus.  A great visual by
 one of our volunteer leaders, Mark. 

Launching paint water balloons at student leaders! 

Color Wars = Success! 

Everybody's Birthday Club

Arturo was graciously volunteered by his
friend Sergio to be our human piñata. 

Then everyone took off their left shoe and swatted
at the piñata as he ran by to get the candy off. 

Where there is colorful icing, there will be food fights. 

Clubs not pictured: We're back!, Capture the flag, YOLO & Battle of the Sexes

To say I've had a favorite club this year, the answer would change every week because I have been so impressed with my team and the way greatness is had each week!  It is truly amazing to be a part of this team and I can't wait for it to grow in December when Ella makes her way from Costa Rica to Nicaragua, por fin. 

Like I said at the beginning though, club is just one of the tools that YL uses to reach kids.  The main focus every week is to make sure our message is clear that Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us.  We have used great visuals and stories from the past to make it relatable to kids while never losing the meaning of the Gospel.  

I gave the talk last night and used a story from my travels about walking through a cave with only a candle's light to follow.  Giving talks always makes me nervous.  One of my teammates asked one of the kids who probably speaks the least amount of English of the group at club last night, what the talk was about and that is when I knew I had done ok.  He said, "She talked about how we all have caves, dark places in our lives, but Jesus is the light of the world and came to free us from them." BAM! That is exactly what I was going for!  I feel like after I give a talk, I'm not sure what I just said but when I hear a simple synopsis like that one with my exact main point I know that the Holy Spirit lead my words and opened kids' hearts to hear his message. 

Guys, this is my job! I can hardly believe it myself. 

A Tour of Managua

I thought you might want a quick tour of Managua that Ella and I did our first week in town. 

One month in to the Vida Nica and loving it!

Coffee Shop & Work Crew at AD School

This week might be one of my favorite weeks I've had in a long time.  I loved my time in Costa Rica and still miss the people but Nicaragua is my home and I'm starting to settle in.

Some of my Work Crew friends! 

When I found out I was on Work Crew this week.
 SURPRISE! It turned out to be a beautiful blessing. 

This past week I got to do Work Crew (Equipo de Trabajo) at the Finca - the YL camp in Matagalpa, Nicaragua - for the Area Directors training.  Area Directors from all over Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic came to Nica for training and theology classes.  I also got to serve them as the "barista" in the coffee shop.  I L-O-V-E-D the coffee shop.  It was a gathering place for people to come, relax and chat and I got to be in the center of it.  I even got a chance to get to know a few of the leaders from the region and I especially loved the time I got to know other Nica leaders.

Big things are happening here and I am so thankful to be a part of it, even in the smallest way.

Some of the highlights from this week that I wrote in my journal as "momentos bonitos y pensamientos":

Momentos bonitos: Listening to club worship in Spanish while I was in the coffee shop alone. 

Serving my Work Crew friends coffee and hot chocolate.  

One friend told me he didn't eat dinner because of the delicious hot chocolate that I had made him (from a packet.) 

When they had breaks throughout the day, they would come see me because they were worried about me being left alone. 

Marlyn - a director in Nicaragua - telling me she felt like she was in a different country when she was in the coffee shop because everything was so foreign to her.  I loved this because it meant she hadn't had the opportunity for fun drinks like chai or hot chocolate before and because I'm the one in a foreign country and felt right at home in the coffee shop.  

Being called a Nica. What an honor it is to be called a local.  

Pensamientos: Latinos even gel their hair when wearing a hairnet all day.

These people are beautiful.  It made me think of Romans 10:15: Any how can anyone preach unless they are sent.  As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!"  

Condor - one of the WC bosses - said, "Siga sirviendo" - Keep serving.

International Schools YL Nicaragua & Costa Rica 

The ADs of Managua :) 

Another highlight for me was getting to meet so many of the Global Leaders of Nicaragua.  The DGLs (Developing Global Leaders) are a group of people who are sponsored by donors from all over to have the opportunity to go to university while being Young Life leaders in their college or neighborhood. Here's a better definition: What is a DGL? The DGLs in Nicaragua are good people.  This week I spent time with Jessy, Luis, Harvin, Jennifer, Carlos, Elsa, Franklin - some were on Work Crew with me and others are the directors or future directors of their areas.  Check them out here - click on Nicaragua to see some of my new friends specifically.  I love the vision of DGLs.  One day, they will be taking over my job and spreading the Good News all over the country and the world. 

4 Redheads in Nicaragua!  Representing Nicaragua, Mexico &
Costa Rica - We're taking over Central America! 

Nicaragua & Mexico International Schools YL

All the ADs on top of the world! 

Big things are happening here people.  

Nica. Here to stay.

We made it.  Made it to Nicaragua after over 2 years of planning, prepping and praying.

The week started on Sunday with a long bus ride from San José, across the border and ending in Managua.  I was so thankful to have Ella to continue this part of the journey with me for so many reasons and I cannot wait until she is back in Nica to stay too.  We were greeted by some of the amazing Vida Joven leaders and our teammates Pratt & Ashley Butler. After a quick snack at a local fried chicken restaurant with them, the Butlers, Ella and me went to dinner with the family I am currently living with, the Izzos.  The Izzos are a great family of 3 kids - 2 in high school and one in elementary school - that have graciously opened their home to me until I find a more permanent place.  When thinking about looking for housing (while I was still in Costa Rica) Pratt made a comment along the lines of, "God seems to form a special place in people's hearts for you Jen in the way they open their house to you" so he wasn't too concerned about housing and he was right!  This makes my 5th home stay in as many years.

The week is somewhat of a blur because I was trying to get my bearings but it has been filled with Cabin Time (aka Campaigners aka Bible study), a girl's birthday party, contact work (meeting new kids) and the first Club of the year!  The turn out for the first club was great and Ella and I got to be a part of the games and even made a video (to be posted soon!) of our tour of Managua.

I also was able to take care of a few administrative things on Thursday after taking Ella to the airport.  Pratt and I went to the bank for two hours then made our way to a car lot where I had found a car online and he had checked out before I got here.  It's a 2001 Pathfinder and we got it for a really good price.  After a few hours at the lot (since I need a few more lessons on my stick-shift driving) one of the guys at the lot drove me home in my new car and we headed off to Cabin Time.  It was a new day for CT and we had already met on Monday to catch up so no one showed up but we used that time to set up my phone.  At this point, I was feeling pretty accomplished for such a productive day.  Well it turned into a classic "Welcome to Nicaragua" day when my car broke down as Pratt was taking me home.  We took it to a mechanic (who is also a Vida Joven leader) and found out there wasn't any oil in the engine, a simple fix thankfully.  As we were getting in a taxi to go home, an "aguacero" - downpour - came out of nowhere and made me even more thankful we weren't stuck on the road then.  The day ended with family dinner and watching The Sandlot.  Overall a productive day and ended on a note of thankfulness for this family, my car and the friends around me who can laugh with me.

Friday was spent on the opposite side of town picking up tools and work team supplies from this summer.  I enjoyed this time a lot because I got to see a number of the other Vida Joven leaders I hadn't seen yet this week and even some of their homes and future VJ Club locations. I am still continually blown away by the work the Lord is doing on both sides of the economical gap in the country and pray for opportunities to bridge it.

If there's one thing I take from this week is that I've got a lot to learn.  A lot to learn about ministry.  A lot to learn about Spanish.  A lot to learn about driving.  A lot to learn about cross cultural friendships. A lot to learn about Jesus and the work he has started in me.  A lot to learn about grace with myself and with others. A. Lot. To. Learn.

But I am here and I am willing.