Each morning we get up, eat breakfast and climb into our spacious mystery machine and drive to the Buen Samaratino (Good Samaritan) Church.  Remember the lovely mystery machine from Scooby Doo?  That is what our maroon van looks like each morning when it pulls up to the curb.  Full of promise for the days adventures, we actually fit.....perhaps I should say squeeze 22 people onto this van.  Packed tighter than a jar of pickles we don't really worry about seat belts because, well, there aren't any.  This would perhaps not be as scary if the people here observed turn laws but everyone seems to turn with the spirit......meaning you turn and pray to the Lord that there's no one else who decided to turn from an opposite direction.  Our mystery machine comes equipped with courtesy seats so that we actually sit 4 to a row instead of merely 3. It also has the best air conditioning around.........when the windows are open and we are moving that is.  We took a picture on the first day to show all of you at home what exactly traveling in style looks like in Managua..........

Today marks our halfway point in the mission.  Each  morning when we arrive at the church, Pastor Emmanuel leads us in praise and worship while his son Humberto plays the guitar.  Pastor Emmanuel gives us a brief thought or two on various passages of the bible and then JD takes over and leads all of us in adult bible study.  This week he has been preaching on John Wesley's three simple rules.  Yesterday was rule number 1: Do No Harm.  While JD preaches, our translator Rigoberto gives the sermon in Spanish for all the community that has come.  Today we heard about the second rule: Do Good.  JD did a very good job and was conscientious to include examples of well known Nicaraguans to help draw the community more fully into the lesson.  At the end, Lori was invited to speak since every aspect of this mission has been her idea and has been in her prayers.  JD closed the service by blessing the sewing machines that the women will use for the next year.

Bible School had just as many children today as yesterday.  We sang many songs and made God's Eyes for a craft.  The children learned the 10 commandments as Andy announced like a game show host and 10 women played the part of Vana White.  Undeniably, the best part of the day is the free time we spend with the children and their families at the end of each afternoon.  The girls grow especially close to all of us and desire to make friends with everyone they meet.  Each one has the face of God.  

Our devotion for the evening was centered around judgements.  Who is the leaper in our society?  Homeless, illegal immigrants, muslims community.......who do we fail to see with the eyes of christ?  Are we the leapers?  In America we have so much and there is undeniably a push to be the best or have the best?  Does this make our hearts clean or just cloud our purpose here on earth?  Sometimes I feel that the women who make our lunch each day with one stove and one pot might laugh to enter an American kitchen. 


"What is this for?" they would ask.
"Oh, that's a pressure cooker.......it cooks food," we'd respond.
"And this?" they'd continue.
"That's a crock pot........it cooks food too," we'd explain.
"And this?"
"That's a microwave.....it cooks FOOD," we'd elaborate feeling a little exasperated that they didn't seem to understand what all these devices in the kitchen were for.
"So does this work?" they'd say pointing to the stove.
"Yes, the oven works fine." we'd say, probably looking at them like they were crazy for not understanding at this point in the conversation.


But who is truly the one who fails to understand?  Perhaps it is us for not realizing at times how much we have, and that what we have clutters our life and makes it difficult to store up our treasures in heaven.  Perhaps we are strange for 'needing' so much to be happy- for thinking that 4 kitchen apparatuses which perform the same task are necessary.  I find it ironic that we go on mission to be closer to God.  I believe sometimes we lose sight of his face in the clutter of materialism we surround ourselves in.  Essentially, we at heart recognize that happiness and closeness with God is not found in what we own but what we give of ourselves to others.