My team has been in Nicaragua for over a week now and so far we’ve been enjoying our time and ministry here. I’ve been loving the new pace and rhythms of life, along with the place we live and the people we live alongside.
Team Selah is halfway through our time on Ometepe island–an island made from two volcanoes in the middle of the giant lake in the middle of Nicaragua (if you were to look at a map). We’re living and serving at a Christian child protection center, with an on-site K-12 school. There are 9 kids that live here during the week and stay with host families on the weekend! There are 2 full-time staff (as well as the director’s two teenage daughters) that live on-site all the time. And there are over a dozen other staff plus teachers at the school that come and go and make this place operate so smoothly!
I’ve been loving that we have a fairly predictable schedule here. We start morning ministry at 8, break for lunch, and then do afternoon ministry until 4. In the mornings, the team typically splits between helping at the school, in the kitchen, and in the garden on-site. In the afternoons we help at the school, in the garden, and with an afterschool program.
At the school we’ve been helping clean and organize things, clean up the area around the soccer field, and the other day a teammate and I got to make a fun poster with the schools rules on it. This week, some of my teammates are helping teach English and Bible classes in the afternoons.
Sometimes random opportunities arise to serve and build relationships, and we have enjoyed all of those moments. Some teammates and I have been working for several days on various painting projects around the property. One night we got to enjoy a movie night/sleepover with the teenage girls that live here. We try to reserve our evenings to spend time with the kids that live here, whether it’s playing soccer or four-square, listening to music, or simply hanging out. And a few of us have started waking up in the night to pray over the ministry and it’s staff and kids–we’re realizing that intercession and prayer is one of the biggest ways we can care for and love the people here.
Life here is a sweet balance of structured and relaxed! Our days are full but don’t ever feel rushed. My team has been making the most of our time together and our time here. God is so good and each day is a gift. I’m excited for the days we have left here in Nicaragua!
Other updates:
- We will be headed to Costa Rica next Thursday! The squad will meet back up to travel together to our ministry sites. We’ll be in Costa Rica for just about 1 month before heading to the Dominican Republic.
- We will be getting new teams in Costa Rica! Our leadership has decided we’ll be doing a mens/womens month. So all the guys will be together at a ministry host in one part of the country, and then all the girls will be split onto two teams at two hosts that are near each other in a different part of the country. This means my team (Selah) will be dissolved and we’ll be mixed in with all the other girls on our squad.
- I’m fully funded!!! It happened late last week, by the power of God and the generosity of His people. My church back home hosted a prayer and worship night and during it a couple friends mentioned my fundraising to everyone, they prayed, and God moved!! Hallelujah!
Prayer requests:
- for my team to soak up the time we have left together. That we would be intentional with it and outdo one another in showing honor.
- for the squad to be prepared for new teams next month. That our hearts would be ready and that we would balance holding on to what is now and being hopeful about what is yet to come.
- for the ministry host my team is at currently. They’ve shared again and again about the spiritual war they feel here. Pray for protection of the physical place and it’s people. Pray for favor within the government for budgets to be approved, visas to be accepted, and doors to be opened. Pray for the kids that live here (ages 9-17), that they would grow up strong in the Lord and be unshaken in their trust of who He is and how He cares for them.
Thanks for the update, it is great to hear what your daily life is like. YAY and congrats on being fully funded, what an answer to prayer. I love that it was a group that contributed. Yes, the power of prayer. I am sitting here in the quiet of my house praying for you all now.
Hi Emily! It’s so good to hear from you! I love hearing about the ministry and your day to day routine. God is so GOOD and I can tell that He is moving through you in all the ministry you’re doing. I agree, soak up every minute you have on the island and the sweet time you have left with team Selah. I know that the Lord has beautiful things for you as you move on to Costa Rica. We love you so much and are praying always for those prayer requests. CONGRATULATIONS on being fully funded…God is so faithful!
Embrace the team changes. There are things that were great and also hard with your last team….don’t compare those things with your new team. Be ready to go “all in” with your new team. Be ready for it to be hard and sweet all at the same time. Reflect on how you’ve grown, and make a commitment to grow even more during this next season. Remember, the road less taken is often the sweetest in the long run. Praying for you, your squad, your hosts, and all the people you get to interact with! Make each and every moment count!