Are you doing that, Dad?

Rachel learning to lead guitar for our prayers

Part of our family part of our routine in in missions and stateside is the Liturgy of the Hours which includes singing together some praise and worship. Most of the time Missions allows for a much more prayerful life. Since we in arrived Guadelupe Gardens we have had the pleasure of the Rush family joining most mornings and evenings. What a blessing it is to sing and pray together and share as the Lord inspires us. Paul shared one morning about how we have the life of God within us. Such short sentence to convey such a magnificent reality, THE LIVING God, dwelling in us and giving us grace to live this life loving Him and our neighbor.

Meg trying to help, doing what she sees the kids doing

     When we discerned Nicaragua we did not know where we would live.  Finding a place to live in a foreign country and in another language presents serious obstacles so the offer Paul and Bing to allow us to land at Guadeloupe Gardens Just making a “life that works” in a foreign country takes a while and there is has been a lot of work to get our living quarters in order including helping get a consistent water supply. (Lora always says she would rather have water than electricity.) Then after getting that situation stable we started working on other things. One afternoon I am working on some electrical so our refrigerator that is getting repaired can have a plug not an extension cord and Meg comes up the stairs and says “ Hi Dad, can help you?”

“ Sure Meg” I reply while thinking I’m not sure what you can do as a 2 yo but I love that you want to and I love you being with me. Next the appropriate questions for a 2 yo follow:

“Are you doing that Dad?” she says. Not sure exactly what thoughts are going through her mind, but realizing how serious she is about her question, as if she things she really understands what I am doing I reply with a loving smile, “Yes, Margaret, I am doing that” Next as I am working with the wires and as the questions continue the wires bump her head a couple of times, to which she comments “Dad, your hittin me or hurtin me” I’m not sure which. So I apologize and keep working. Then she says “ Dad, can I not help you?”

“Sure Meg” but less than 2 minutes later she is back.

The next morning while reflecting on our call to realize the life of God in us and to live in His presence in our community prayers I shared about Margaret “helping” me and I realized that we Christians, called to enter the Kingdom of God as little children, listening to Him, watching Him, being in His presence and really we don’t understand what He is doing in the whole scheme of things but that He desires us to be with Him, loving and being loved.

Lord how I want to be content in Your presence asking “Abba, Daddy, are you doing that?” not really knowing what He is doing but knowing He does……

Our travels to Nicaragua

Going up the mountain from Managua to San Marcos

Going up the mountain from Managua to San Marcos

Most of you know we left Kansas City for our new mission with A Simple House on Wednesday, October 19th.  We arrived in Costa Rica and spent 3 days  with the Bailey Family. We really enjoyed being with them and seeing a little bit of their mission, including going to a couple of chapels with one of their priests and participating in 2 masses and a prayer service.

  

Leaving from there, we traveled on the TicaBus for 9 hours to Managua, Nicaragua, arriving in our mission territory on World Mission Sunday.  Our trip takes us through Costa Rica because it saves us about $2600 in travel costs as opposed to flying directly into Nicaragua. Our first item on the agenda in Managua was getting settled into our Home Stays and language school.  They didn't have a host family big enough to fit all eight of our kids and us so the oldest four stayed down the street from Lora, the littles and I.  It was a great two week experience with the Managua Nicaragua Language school. Our time in Managua included a pre-election march/rally going past our house and special times with our host families.

Isaac studying with our host.

  At the end of our time in Managua, we arranged for a private Microbus to take us to Guadalupe Gardens where Paul and Bing Rush have their mission. Paul Rush, founder of Guadalupe Garden, decided to welcome our family into his mission (which is located about 2km away from San Marcos, Nicaragua on a rough dirt or mud road) while we investigate and enculturate and try to figure out the business(es) we will try to start here.  Guadalupe Gardens is dedicated to the New Evangelization and supporting other missionaries in their call, so it has been a wonderful place for us to land. The 3 acres includes many old building that were the heart of a coffee plantation before the Revolution. It includes 2 cisterns that used to hold water for the dry season and a well that is about 1000 feet deep but needs to be repaired. Paul and Bing also serve the community around them in various ways. There have been many struggles, difficulties and setbacks in the last few years, but Bing and their first baby on the way, are a couple of really bright spots. We feel our coming to the mission at this time to be very providential for us and Rush’s.