See Something More

Tonight I smelled up our entire house with the aroma of corn tortillas, fried plantains, and gallo pinto, which is a traditional beans and rice dish in Nicaragua. In memory and celebration of my summer, I cooked my family a full-blown Nicaraguan feast. After two months of eating gallo pinto almost every day (and sometimes for all three meals), you would think I would get tired of it, but I don't. Instead, I crave it. The smell of gallo pinto brings me back to breakfast at the mission. When I patted the tortillas tonight in my kitchen, I thought about learning to make them with Marina in her kitchen. No matter how many times I've eaten beans and rice this summer, I will always have room for more. It never gets old because it reminds me of the places where I've been. In fact, it's so good that I just had to make it tonight so that I could share it with my whole family! After dinner, I showed them pictures and told them stories for an hour and a half. I had the t...

All I could hear was the dancing of the wind as it wisped through the tops of the pines. Everything else was quiet – no car horns, no television noise, no airplanes, not even a bird chirping. My hammock swung gently between two tall evergreen trees that overlooked the peaceful blue lake. As I rocked back and forth, I leaned my head back and watched the clouds pass over the pointed tops of the trees. The sky was so miraculously blue, like the curtain of the smog of civilization had been peeled back to reveal the sky’s true color. Here I was, in the middle of the wilderness of Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. It was so still, so quiet, so void of distraction, that I closed my eyes and became lost in my own thoughts. As I felt the sun warming my face, it reminded me of the weather in Nicaragua. As I felt the cool breeze, I could have convinced myself that when I opened my eyes, I would be standing at the cross overlooking Jinotega. When I paddled in the lakes in Canada, the motion re...

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...