Hello world! It is crazy to think that everything at home is going still going on normally while we are here, doing things that we would never do at home. But I am not here to write about home. I am here to write about Nicaragua.
So here it goes.
How does the saying go? Third time's the charm? This is my third year in Nicaragua. I know that back in 2009 when I said I wanted to go I wouldn't have thought I'd be back for a second time, nevermind a third. But who can resist such a place?
So far this week we've done a lot of cement. Like, mixing it by hand. Which is hard work, just FYI. But it is incredibly rewarding, expecially since we finished the floor of the building we've been working on (except for a small area that needs pipes and what-not). That's been a good team building experience because it requires a lot of communication with everyone. So that's been great. It's been nice seeing the ditch we dug last year get finished as well (despite all the rain!). Yesterday I went with the dental team to the other side of the island, near Volcan Madera (pardon my spelling). We set up in a (hot) church, put a curtain up between us and the pews so that we'd have a space to work without prying eyes, and went to work. I mostly held a light for the dentists while they pulled teeth. No cleaning here, just ask what tooth, what kind of pain, and they start pulling. Definitely need a strong stomache for that. And compassion. The first guy that came in really stands out in my mind; he was so nervous! After he got his first tooth pulled, I attempted to reassure him by using the universal "thumbs up" sign. He had two teeth pulled I think, but they were fairly easy in comparison to others. There were only about 15 people, but I can't imagine how many others need that kind of care.
In other news, God's been doing a lot. My relationship with Him has grown tremendously this past few months, kind of as a taking the step beyond the basic beliefs if you know what I mean. I've realized its not all about me (a lovely realization, you should try it sometime), and that's really been a big thing here for me. Our devotional time here each night in the Rancho time has  been beyond description for me. To use my friend, Ari's words, it is the most beautiful time. The theme this year has been prayer, which is a thing in itself, which I shall briefly explain. Just before coming here, like a week, Father really laid prayer on my heart. That is weird for me, because I have never, ever viewed myself as a pray-er because I never liked to pray out loud in front of people and because spoken word (even in the echoing recesses of my brain to God) isn't really my thing. But I did it because the whole God speaking to me is slightly new, and I was like, "hey, I should probably do that" Anyway. One nut-shell sentence is that "the prayers of a righteous person make a difference." God wants us to love Him and love his people, and (continual) prayer is one way we can (continually) serve them and help carry their burdens. I like that, and I think that is something that is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. There's more I could say and want to share, but this was really supposed to only be a paragraph post. :)
So goodbye, world. Sorry, but I don't really miss you (excluding physical and spiritual family). This little piece of heaven is good enough for me, bugs, rice, beans, and all. But we leave here Satuday to go to the Pacific and Masaya, and then on Sunday we have a long day of travel back to Estados Unidos. Do you think it's okay if I accidentally miss the flight?
Buenos noches. <3