News from Granada

Hello everyone and sorry again it has taken so long to post our travel adventures. We are now in Granada, Nicaragua and will be here for 7 weeks total which is extremely nice to settle in a bit and really embrace the city and the people. We were super tired of moving around from day to day while traveling to get here. We have loved having community again for the first time since we left the States. There are about 12 people here through AIM, a mission organization, for different reasons and for different lengths of time but it has been great to get to know them and have fellowship and get to know their hearts for their specific ministries.

Last week we took the oppurtunity to jump in with all the different activities between the groups and see what everyone was doing. We have prayed about what we wanted our 2 months here to look like and what we think God wants us to do while here and we really think that is to dive into 1-2 things rather than just be an extra hand in all the many activities and really get to know a few people rather than meet 100. So last week we went to everything to see where we felt the Lord was calling us. Some were definitely more apparent than others. Before we got here, Seth felt called to go to the hospital and talk and pray with patients although he has NO medical interest at all. We told him we would love to get involved in this and help him get this off the ground and set up for future teams who come down here to serve. Seth was excited about this and basically just gave us this ministry. We started last week and helped the nurses by taking vital signs of patients (blood pressure, temperature, etc) and then we got to talk to the patients and get to know them. Joe got a quick crash course in how to take vital signs and our medical work that morning was highlighted was a guy laughing and freaking out when we tried to tried to take his temperature orally. They always take temperatures in the armpit down here (??) and when he flinched (with good reason-to avoid and armpit sweat-filled mouth) we were afraid he was expecting a little rectal exam!!
This hospital is free and so a lot times they do not have certain medications or personal to do procedures to patients just sit and wait. The 2 guys we really got to know last week were both waiting for leg surgeries and had major infections but the hospital didn't have the correct antibiotics to treat them after the surgery so they are just there waiting and hoping they can have surgery soon. It is really sad but a great opportunity to share Jesus with them and tell them He is the ultimate healer.

We also went to the dump last week to serve a meal to the people working there. As we arrived to the dump in the back of a pick-up truck, I honestly didn't know if I could get out and walk around because the smell was so horrid and the flies where all over us. As soon as I drug myself out and saw the devastating picture in front of me I could not grasp what I saw. Entire families digging through the trash in a huge space of land to find food, scraps to recycle for money, and items they could resell at the market. Huge buzzards were everywhere and tons of stray dogs were wondering around. Mario, a Nica guy who is really involved with this ministry and works as a translator for many of the missionaries says these people are very heavy in spirit and think this is a punishment for something they did wrong in their lives and they deserve this. The kids don't go to school and they basically don't know life outside of the dump. They do not let kids under about 10 search through the dump now because of an incident at another dump about an hour away where kids from a candy bar and ate it and it actually was rat poison and the kids died. We sang to the people, served them food, and read them Scripture while we were there. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life and we are trying to figure out a way to get them out of there to a better life. If you get bored google Nicaragua dump and read about how a city near here is trying to change their community dump. I am trying to research ways to help the dump here.

Another huge ministry, and the main one the Kay's, the missionary family from Trinity, are involved in is a rehab center for men addicted to drugs or alcohol. They try to get them to come to Bible studies and other activities and then sponsor them to go to rehab in a nearby city. Frank and Bekah, a couple from Birmingham, have a huge heart for addicts and discipleship. Once they graduate from the rehab center, Frank will disciple the men and find them jobs and his wife Bekah will disciple the women in their lives since learning to trust these men again is a huge problem. It's been amazing to hear the stories of the men who have graduated and have given their lives to Christ and just the grace we have through Jesus.

We also went to Vida Joven (Young Life) this week to both club and campaigners. It was really fun to see kids literally off the streets fired up for Jesus. Some of the kids already have a criminal record, are addicted to drugs, and have no families but are starting to show interest in Vida Joven. It was really fun for Joe to be back in Young Life and having fun with teenage kids.

We also visited a girls home with the 4 girls on the team and helped them with their homework and played with them and just loved on them. Most of the girls have parents in town but for different reasons can't take care of the kids. They visit sometimes but the girls all live in the orphanage. It was a good experience but Joe and I both realized this isn't where our hearts are for the next 2 months and probably won't continue going.

There is also a feeding program in a nearby neighbor that we didn't have the chance to attend last week but are looking forward to seeing how that ministry goes. It is in a very poor neighborhood and the girls go and cook the food in blazing heat of a kitchen and serve them and play with the kids.

We also moved in with a family here in Granada which has been awesome and extremely hard. They are a great family with about 13 people living there but it's EXTREMELY hot, as in we can't go in our room from 9am-6pm, and not so private. Nobody down here has air conditioning either and it's at least 95 degrees everyday...crazy! We are praying about what to do whether to stick out the heat or find somewhere else a little more comfortable for us. Oh and the first night we moved in with them they had a funeral on the front porch. The uncle had drank some poison 12 days again, either accidentally or intentionally we aren't quite sure and passed away the day we arrived. They do not embalm bodies here so it was a little weird. People were in the streets being fed by the family until midnight and they all stayed awake with "the dead" all night. The next day the carry the casket to the cemetery and everyone walks with them. It was a little awkward moving in but an experience we won't forget!

Well that's a lot to keep you guys updated for now. We miss you all and would really appreciate your prayers for everything going on down here!
We love you!
Julie and Joe