Buenos noches! Today was our last day here and a team day off. We went out to breakfast at a chocolate museum that had a buffet (yes we did eat more than just chocolate, haha) The fresh pineapple here is A-Mazing. There were chocolate crepes, banana pancakes, and variety of other things. There was also a ton of stuff to look at... so many artsy things! 

From there we headed to a live volcano! I saw actual lava! Talk about a smelly adventure... so much sulfur. We backed in the parking space so that if it started to erupt we could hightail it out if there! There was also a museum that had an awesome overlook as well. 

Finally we swam in a laguna that had been made from a volcano crater that has been dormant and filled with water. We ate lunch there and jumped off an appropriately 12ft drop into the water. It was awesome! We all loved being able to relax and kickback in the cool water. 

We are bummed to have to come home, but are excited for the future indeed. 

~Becky

Buenos Días! 

Today was our 5th and last full day of ministering here in Granada. We began our day headed to the Esposito's home and on the way stumbled upon The Procession (a tradition in Latin American cultures during the Holy Week where we got to experience the walk Jesus made on his way to the cross after he dropped the cross for the second time). Many of us had never seen this before so it was very interesting, especially as missionaries of Christ, to be able to see such a vivid depiction of what our savior endured for our sins. 

Next we headed to the local jail for Bible studies with the inmates. When we got there the teams split up into separate groups (one for the men, one for the women) to lead worship and the studies. The men saw that regardless of conditions experienced by the inmates everyone was open and joyfully recieved the gospel and input everyone had to offer them. I (Angel) and David were able to share our testimonies in hopes of touching their hearts. The men were so engaged - everyone could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit among them in the cell. The women were able to meet outside and we covered a portion of the study titled "Beauty for ashes" which is meant to empower women. A common struggle among women in the area is the inability to stand in their power as sisters in Christ. We were asked to meditate on a question (who is God to me?) and ask God to give us a picture which we can then draw and explain to the group. This was awesome since a lot of women don't know how to read or write here so it takes that limitation away. I (Katie) and the rest of the gals on our team were able to make ourselves vulnerable and tell the women some of our stories and struggles in hopes of helping them become more vulnerable with current and future exercises like this. The women were so receptive to the stories we were able to tell them and it felt like we were able to make some real progress with the study even though we were only with them for an hour!

We finished our ministry work with an hour of prayer walking through Pantanal. We began at the community center which is currently being constructed and prayed for blessings over the site. We then split up into the same two groups and met with a variety of people all over the area praying for good health, family blessings, and miracles from God. 

Hasta mañana!
Angel y Katie

​Today we visited the dump in Grenada. The dump is where people come to work all day, usually 7am to 5pm, to find recycling to obtain money. The people are hard working and industrious.  Our purpose was to show them God loved them and they mattered. I (Becky) shared a message about The Heart of the Father based on Matthew 18. I was super nervous speaking, but I knew that the Lord wanted me to do it. Once I got started, the nerves went away. I was able to share a little bit of my story about how when I have fallen away and been that sheep that God has had to come find, I used to think that God was mad at me. But thankfully that's not true! I was able to share that He loves us and has compassion for us even when we do wrong. Our team then fed the workers there a meal. We also broke off and shared our stories and prayed with them and for them. I (Becky), Heidi, and Katie went and talked with a woman and her daughter and got to pray with her. I (Dave) learned what it was like, even for a brief moment, what it was like to see people through His eyes, dearly beloved. 

From the dump we went to help do a VBS with a children's center in Fortin. There were about 60 kids from ages 2 to 12. These were great kids and it was an absolute blast to participate in this VBS. I (Dave) made the mistake of spinning the kids around like a helicopter and soon found out that the more I did it, the more kids wanted a turn! I was so dizzy I regretfully had to say "no mas" or no more. It's hard to say no to these precious kids. They even had Angel and I doing push-ups! The gals on the team helped prepare the meal by chopping vegetables (with really big knives!). Then we all  participated in giving a message on being the "Light of the World," taught them the song This Little Light of Mine, and gave them glow sticks as a reminder to be the light that shines in the darkness. The kids were so awesome and great participants! They were loving on us and it was just such a blessing to be there. 

We ended the day with a fun trip to the mercado where we learned to bargain like the locals, respectfully of course. I (Becky) had a precious experience with a woman named Marta. She was showing me these wooden parrots to buy and while they were beautiful I was hesitant. She started telling me that her son made them. I then asked her about her family and it lead to a great conversation. I asked her if there was anything I could pray for her about and she lit up and said yes. Through my broken Spanish and the words of the Holy Spirit, I was able to pray for one. Guys it's so awesome!

Can't wait for the next adventure that God brings us here!

Becky and Dave

Hola!

Tuesday was our third day in Granada and despite the 94 degree heat and sunburns acquired, we had an amazing day! :) It started off with planting over 1,000 papaya plants on the farm that will soon support the REAP Granada Ministry. The farm is a place of amazing possibilities still being discovered. The Lord is truly at work here and is working through Jennifer and Scott to provide jobs for the community, plants that will revolutionize many of the health problems in Nicaragua, and endless learning opportunities of God's grace and tests of patience and faith. 

One of the trees in the photos is what Nicaraguans call the Tree of Life, or Moringa in Spanish. This tree has incredible healing powers in it's seeds and leaves. It is estimated that one tsp of the dried leaves is equivalent to having the calcium of 18 glasses of milk and 27 servings of spinach. This discovery could transform Nicaragua because diabetes and high blood pressure are some of the most prevalent ailments due to sodas and frescas being less expensive than water. The goal is to have 2 acres of these trees on the farm in addition to classes teaching about health and how this powder will help decrease many of these health concerns when implemented. This was probably my favorite fact of the day because in the United States we are so quick to take pills with questionable ingredients for diabetes and blood pressure and here is an organic solution. I tasted the leaves on the tree and they tasted like arugula, but they do have increased healing qualities when dry. The challenge in the birth of this project lies in that this project consumes funds instead of generating them. This means the farm (and ministry) must be self-sustaining through the harvesting and sale of the crops already on the farm before this project can be initiated. Currently, there is only one well supporting the entire farm. Many plants are needing to be hand watered. A second well was installed incorrectly and has yet to produce water. On our first day we prayed for this well to fulfill its purpose for the farm and we ask you to do the same. Thank you!

The second half of the day we spent exploring. We took a boat ride in the 19th largest lake in the world and were told you can own an island for as little as $30K USD! We came to what is known as "Monkey Island" where we fed monkeys sweet bread. They were not interested in bananas so remember that stereotypes are not always true. We had one monkey, Lucy hop right on our boat twice! There is a great mix of homes and architecture on the islands, from thatched roofs to more modern looking establishments. From there, we went to La Merced, a very old Catholic church where you can walk up to the bell tower and see a beautiful view of Granada. The mountain you see if the background is actually a volcano and is well known when speaking of Nicaragua. The stair case to get to the top is extremely narrow and steep and was an adventure of its own :)

We returned to Scott and Jennifer's home for dinner and bought handmade moracas and leather bracelets as well as local cashews and coffee from amazingly talented vendors. We ate, debriefed, and were poured into by Jen and Scott. One thing they said that truly stuck with us all was that you can't share Jesus if you don't have Jesus and that quiet time with the Lord is extremely important. Have you had your quiet time today?

Thanks for following!
Heidi

Hola!

Today was our second full day in Granada, Nicaragua. We started the day off with breakfast in our hotel (amazing coffee included) then a quick trip down the road to the Esposito's where we debriefed on yesterday's activities and prepped for our first task of the day- a scavenger hunt to the local market! We were given a shopping list (written in half English/half Spanish), had to find our way to the market, exchange money, purchase everything on the list with the budget we were given, and the first team back won free coffee and a REAP Granada t-shirt. It was such a fun way to get to see more of the city and to start having conversations with the locals (not to mention my team won!!).

After the scavenger hunt we had lunch and got ready to visit with the kids! We got the opportunity to lead a short lesson (Let the little children come to me) followed by serving them lunch. The kids really enjoyed when they were able to participate and being able to serve them was such a joy!! "Mas! Mas!" (More! More!) they would yell for more juice- everyone loves their sugary drinks here! The kiddos were so polite, some even made a point to say "thank you" in English! They all got a coloring page to take home and I was excited to see some of them coloring on it later in the day while we were walking around. 

We had three bible studies next - one studying 50 women in the Bible and the other two with kickball teams. As a part of their ministry, the Esposito's have a unique opportunity to reach a large group of people. They own a sports field where they invite locals to form teams and play, and if the team doesn't have a uniform the Esposito's will buy them in exchange for the team committing to a 10 week bible study! It was great to get to hear about individuals lives- their relationships, their kids, their businesses- and just being able to see how we share universal desires and struggles.

We finished our night after one of the kickball  small groups wrapped up with a fiesta in their home. They wanted to thank the Esposito's for everything they have done for them with dinner and a party (and it wouldn't be a party without a piñata of course)! I loved getting to experience how they lived life. When driving by you see all these people behind their fences and in their homes playing music and laughing together which is beautiful to see, but getting to be on the other side of the fence laughing and dancing with the people was something very special to me. 

Hasta luego! 
Katie

Hola!

Our first day in Grenada was an eye opening experience for many of us.  We had church at 10 AM at ElPuente Church.  The Pastor talked about the sacrament of communion, women submitting to their husbands and to not build up your treasures on Earth for our treasure awaits in Heaven.

We got to experience first hand the hard work that the Esposito's have been putting into Grenada.  They gave us a tour of the field, which will in turn employ many Nicaraguans one day and they are working on building up leaders in the community to preach the Gospel.  The main goal is to meet people where they are, whether through sports teams, home visits or on the street.  Through all of this, they are building relationships with the people in Grenada and sharing the love of Christ.

We ended the night with a home bible study outside.  It was a welcoming scene as it is something that you would normally not see in the States.

Our adventures begin tomorrow with a scavenger hunt in the Mercado(Market)...Stay tuned.

Adios from Angel and Kathy!