See Something More

I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. The road from Jinotega to Managua is absolutely gorgeous with its sculpted mountains, lush landscapes, and dynamic skies. But the most beautiful thing I saw was not out my window – it was not something I was seeing with my eyes but with my heart. As I looked at the beautiful land that God has made in Nicaragua, I also pictured the beautiful people that He made and that I have come to love. I closed my eyes and imagined their faces. My heart gazed upon all the memories I have of the places I have been and the things I have been a part of. I tried to wrap my mind around everything that God has taught me and revealed to me, but it was so overwhelmingly brilliant that I could hardly soak it all up. As I looked out the window and waved goodbye to Jinotega, tears rolled down my face. It was the only way I knew to respond to such beauty. As hard as it was to leave Jinotega, God has given me great peace. He has comforted me by reminding m

What do I say? As I sit here, posting my last blog in Nicaragua, I am at a loss for words. Is it possible to summarize or even express the impact this summer has had on my life? Last night, as I sat in our evening devotional, my throat closed up with emotion as soon as we started singing the song, "God is Love." Love one another for love is of God, He who loves is born of God and knows God... Tears rolled down my face as I thought about all the places my feet have stepped and all the people that my hands have touched. This place has become a home to me, and these people are my family. I could hear Marina calling me her daughter. I could feel Maykeling in my arms, whispering "I love you." I could feel all the tickle-fights and hugs of Jaxarela, Yeslin, and Kimberly. I could hear Efren and Lester singing "I love you in the love of the Lord." I could picture working with Eliud, Jimmy, and Miguel, laughing with them and learning from them. I could feel Al

It had been a long day, so Lacey and I grabbed our Bibles, journals, and an ipod and headed to the roof. There is a "secret staircase" that leads to the roof of the mission, and from there you can see the whole city with all its colors and lights. It is a wonderful place to watch the sunset, see the stars, and spend some time with the Lord. On this particular day, Lacey and I were seeking a time of rest and quiet, but as soon as we got comfortable, a sudden thought popped into my head. "What time is it?!" I said almost frantically. "Almost 4:00," Lacey responded. "Why?" "Well, I kind of wanted to go to casa materna today, but I forgot about it until now." I almost pushed the idea out of my head, convincing myself that I needed some time to rest on the roof. After all, we had just sat down. Yet something within my heart was restless until I finally made the decision to stand up. "I am going to casa materna to see if Alyeri h

One of my favorite things about Nicaragua is the kitchen. That's right, the kitchen! At the mission, we are blessed to not only have some of the best meals come out of the kitchen, but some of the most wonderful people inside the kitchen. Marina, Angelita, and Estela are three great cooks, but more importantly, they are three beautiful women. Today, sweet Marina invited Lacey and I to go grocery shopping with her in the local market. Eager to accompany her, Lacey and I happily put aside what we were doing to spend some time with her. As we were walking down the street and talking together, we passed by a small stand where a lady cooking tortillas on her iron grill. The delicious aroma caught my attention, so I paused for a second to watch her pat the dough and flip the patties on the stove. "I want to learn how to make tortillas like that woman." I said, trying to make conversation. Then I turned and starting walking again. But Marina stayed where she was standing

"Who has the measuring tape?" "Can you hand me some more nails?" "Excuse me! Board coming through!" I ducked as a 12-foot piece of wood swung over my head. Hammers were banging, nails were flying, saws were buzzing, and everyone was on a mission. We were not going to leave until this house was finished. Though the rain was pelting our sweaty shirts and our boots were sinking in thick mud, no one was complaining or standing around. Some were measuring boards; some were cutting them. A few people were making the door while a few more were nailing up siding. Some were roofing while others were flooring. And me - I was running around making sure that every team had what they needed. When I looked around the worksite, I saw twenty people scampering around the 20x15 foot house like ants on an anthill. At the same time, I have never seen any group of people more determined, more organized, or more energetic. Today, we were going to give this family a brand ne

A tear slipped down my cheek when my plane took flight on May 28. Nine weeks. That's a long time to be away from home. I was Nicaragua-bound, but I had no idea what to expect when I got there. Would I be able to make friends with the other interns, the missionaries, and the Nicaraguans? Would I get homesick? What would I be doing? Would I enjoy the work? Nine weeks . It seemed like such a long time. Now, seven weeks later, I am trying not to think about actually leaving. It seems like it can't be true. Nine weeks . How could nine weeks fly by so incredibly fast? I have seen so many amazing things, done so many wonderful works, been a part of so many beautiful stories, and built so many life-changing relationships. Now a tear slips down my cheek because I don't want to leave. Nine more weeks please? I do not want to say good-bye because there is something different, something extra special about this place. It's not the beans and rice they serve for breakfast, the t

Every day that we we worked on the house at San Gregorio, Norben was there watching us. If he wasn't already waiting for our van to drive up, he was close behind. He could not really work or help because he has an abnormal condition that we might label as a hunchback. But whatever he lacks in stature, he makes up for with smile. Every time anyone would pat his back, shake his hand, say "hola!", or even look his way, his face would beam with joy. Rain or shine, Norben stood beside us at the worksite, and his presence touched so many of our hearts. One of our translators, Eluid, was particularly touched by this 13-year-old boy who stands about 3.5 feet tall. When Eliud found out that Norben has to walk to school (which is 20 minutes away by bus), he said, "When I get my first paycheck, I am going to get Norben a bike." I think Eliud is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. At first glance, he looks rough and tough with his tatooes all up and down his

My hands are blistered, my arms are sore, and my face is sunburned, but my heart could not be any happier. Physically, I am absolutely exhausted from waking up at 5:45, working construction all day, helping cook and clean for dinner, and then preparing for the next day. A few nights ago, Emily and I got ready for bed, turned out the light, and looked at the clock. “Ashli, it is past 10:00! Why are we not in bed?” Laughing, I responded, “I should be so tired right now, but I just can’t go to sleep!” We stayed up even later telling funny stories and talking about our day. Although our bodies are worn out, our joyful spirits keep up alive and enthusiastic. This week has been absolutely amazing in that I have seen and experienced things that I will store away in my heart forever and ever. How could I forget the loud laughter of the children as we performed skits and puppet shows at VBS? Yet when we started telling them about Jesus, a respectful silence came over the room so that their

I just need about an hour to sit down and think. I experienced so much today that I feel like I need a little time to let it all sink in. After today, I know one thing for sure: God is present and powerful here. I want to share with everyone in the world what I saw and felt today, but instead of trying to explain it, I will let these snapshots and their stories speak "a thousand words."   You might think that digging a ditch is not a very spiritually significant job, but I learned otherwise. After several hours of labor with nothing but a shovel in the mud, an elderly women who had been watching us work finally came up to us. Through a translator, she basically told us, "What are you girls doing out here digging a ditch! This is men's work!" We embraced the opportunity to explain to her that we were working in her neighborhood because we loved the Lord and we wanted to serve His people in love. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity you gave us to mention your n

"Do you like Jinotega?" Marlene asked me in Spanish. "Oh yes!" I responded with enthusiasm. "It is very beautiful here." "And the people?" I hesitated for a moment trying to think of how to answer her using the little spanish that I know. "They are beautiful, too." At first, I gave this answer because it was the simplest thing that I knew I could say correctly. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize how adequate my answer really was. The colorful city of Jinotega is tucked away in the middle of rich, lush mountains. The hills are steep and dynamic, covered in tropical brush. Bright orange flowers dot the hillside and colorful parakeets fly over the landscape. The sky seems extra blue and the thicks clouds are constatly changing. It truly is a beautiful place. At the same time, severe poverty sprinkles the hillsides. Right next to the bright orange flower bush is a ten by ten house made of cardboard and she

Four little girls under the age of thirteen all huddled and giggled together at a distance as they watched the "gringos" (what they call us North Americans) working in their neighborhood. It is not everyday that they see a white-skinned, blonde-haired girl such as myself, so they gathered around our worksite to catch a glimpse of us strangers. However, we weren't strangers for long. Grabbing some blank pages of paper and a box of crayons, I made four new friends: Yorlin, Keylin, Rebeca, and Belking. We colored and laughed together, and because they asked me to, I signed every girls' paper with my full name. One little girl even wrote "friends forever" between her name and mine. It is amazing how such small gifts of love and attention go such a long way. A few days later, I returned to the same neighborhood to help with VBS in their church. As I set up the materials outside, I heard someone shouting my name,"Ashli! Ashli! Ashli!" When I looked up