What is the purpose of this trip? CFCI leases office space in Managua and few months ago the building changed hands and they were told they would have to find new offices. After a significant search, they found a bank that was vacant and was a great fit. In fact, there was even a couple of large rooms that are suitable for housing teams. So five of us are heading down to build walls, move plumbing, and run wire. The goal is to have it "team ready" when we leave the following Sunday. We are also taking two evenings to hold a seminar on Spiritual Leadership for local pastors in Jinotepe.
I do not have any pictures of the new offices but hope to be able to update the blog while I am down there. We could use prayer for:
- team wellness (Nica has a few bugs we do not have here in the US)
- smooth logistics (there are lots of tools and supplies that will need to work out for us to get the job done in time)
- an effective seminar (our prep, their understanding, etc)
- my packing (seems like I always forget something)
Here are a few pics from the March 08 trip...
The 2008 Team - Jimmy and Tom were the other teachers. Mike was the QB and logistics guru while Joey was along to see where Tom would like to build a house one day.
Downtown (museum on left, Nica Flag in plaza, cathedral on right)
This type of house is pretty common in Nica. What is interesting is that you would never know it walking down the street. Nicaraguans take pride in their appearance and will almost always be very clean and nicely dressed.
A little girl we passed on a tour of a neighborhood...
Martin Luther Seminary is where we were teaching. It is laid out in a big square with a courtyard in the middle. This pavilion is in the middle of the courtyard. It is where we gathered before class, during lunch, and at the end of the day.
One of my classes...I was teaching Bible Study Methods. It was a HUGE stretch for me. I had never taught the material, never been to Nica, was teaching 8 hours per day for 4 days, and was scared out of my mind. This was compounded when I was out of material at the end of the 1st day. I definitely learned more than the students.
I am really looking forward to teaching this time...much more comfortable with the material, and only one hour at a time...WHEW!
Graduation for all 3 classes...everyone received a certificate and two reference books in Spanish. It is really amazing how few basic resources are available in Spanish. Books and resources we take for granted every day just are not available down there because they have not been translated.
This is Robert. He was everyone's favorite student. He is a Nicaraguan who served in the US military. He was a great encouragement to us all.
A student hung around during a break to ask a few questions...BTW, note the louvered windows. It was 95+ degrees everyday, no AC, and very little breeze. I am a little concerned about Saturday because when we leave from Atl there will probably still be snow on the ground and when we land a few hours later in Managua it will be near 90.
We were able to get in a little sightseeing...this is Mike on the zipline in Managua. It is actually 3 ziplines...this 1st leg is over 500 meters long.
I hope we get to do it again this time!
Granada is a really old, historic town. There is a nice square in the middle with street vendors and some really unique churches, hotels, and restaurants.
One of our last mornings, Alcides (the director for CFCI in Nica at the time) invited us to breakfast at his house. He cut a fresh papaya from his own backyard for the occasion.
Looking forward to what is in store this time!
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