Of David.
¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

I have loved this passage since the first time I read it. To me it is the heart of worship. At first I was confounded by the thought that we as humans could “bless” God. The God who spoke galaxies into being actually takes delight in you and I when we are in right relationship with him.

I think God smiles ear to ear when He sees what I’ve seen in the people of Nicaragua. They smile and laugh more than what I see stateside. They break out in songs of praise at the drop of a hat. After sharing my testimony with a welder and his son (both of whom were named Miguel btw…..)  who were helping us prepare well caps, the father broke out in the most beautiful and soul-stirring hymn. Inspirational does no credit to what I heard….it was a man worshiping his Maker during a break in his work day. I also got a chuckle when Miguel intimated to me that he could “hit it deep” in reference to his glory days on the baseball field!

Domingo, our interpreter / translator , is 22 years old and his life song is ALL ABOUT showing his Lord thanks for his salvation. Domingo isn’t like too many 22 year olds anywhere. He sees where God is working and jumps in with both feet. He plays base guitar and sings in the church band as well. He too will break out in song at any time. Praise and adoration are conversational for Domingo….no “canned” Jesus here!

Other highlights so far:

Getting a guided tour of Pastor Diamadez’ grand vision for the winning of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador for the Lord. He is meeting people at their point of need with the building of schools, a radio station to share the Good News with 300,000 people, a medical clinic, a pastoral training center and a vocational training farm that shows people how to learn a self-sustaining business by raising farm animals or growing their own crops. This man is a dynamo for God!

Watching Louisville win the NCAA Championship on the streets of Somatillo with a dozen or so Nicaraguan hoops junkies. We treated them to ice cream for sharing their TV with us. The ice cream gave great relief to the 90+ temps after dark!

Don’t want to spill the beans, but don’t feel sorry for us in the food and accommodations departments. Best mission grub I’ve even been exposed to and Elba (our cook at here at Sunnyside Mission) rates a close second to my wife Brenda’s mad kitchen skills. Her chocolate chip cookies are DDD worthy!

Not a coffee drinker but Nicaraguan java may have launched me into that caffeinated world.

Love our team down here: hard workers who love the Lord and don’t mind to get their hands dirty. Thanks Jeff Wilson for your leadership! Sinking roots into this community just feels right!

Learning the language: my newest saying is “todo esta bien”………meaning, “it’s all good.” Clint Eastwood was really describing mission work in the movie Heartbreak Ridge when he said, “you’ve got to adapt and overcome.” Delays, hurdles and the inevitable Murphy’s Law are just a part of the gig!

Lord, bless you for putting me here this week. It’s been great to be on adventure with you!

Mike Brady

If you are around me at home, you will hear me say how blessed we are in the US. I knew this trip would make me realize how truly blessed I am…and has it.

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to give my testimony on Pastor Diamedes’ radio station. I believe that the station is presently going out to around 300,000 people. He is truly doing an amazing job. We came down here to help him and his ministry but he is teaching us how to reach people. Hopefully he can train us to help with our strategy of (Here, Near and Far).

Before the week is over I will try to say a little more about my experiences,

May god bless,

Bill Johnson

One of the primary physical needs in Nicaragua is water. Most in the country do not have running water. To survive they must go and get water for themselves, their children, their livestock, for cooking, taking baths, etc. It is estimated that they use 5 gal of water per person each day. Imagine carrying 5 gal of water, that’s approximately 40 lbs, for each person in your family 365 days of the year.

On this trip we will help those in El Platanal by installing caps and pumps on three wells in their community. One well is being hand dug at the church. The second well is an existing well next to the Primary School that is being deepened and cleaned out. The last well is on the far end of the community. It is also being deepened and cleaned out. Our team will work with men in the community to construct caps for the wells and install the pipe and pumps on the wells.

Here are some details about wells that are being dug and cleaned out:

• - All of the wells are hand dug without any power tools
  - Most wells are 50-60 feet deep
  - Most wells are 5 feet in diameter
  - After construction, we hope for a depth of 8-10 feet of water creating a cistern in the ground
  - Installation costs for each well is dependent on how long it takes to dig the wells and clean them out. Approximate costs are $2,500-$5,500 per well.
  - Taking care of the well basically consists of monthly pouring 1 gal of Clorox in the well to kill all bacteria

While we are working, we will be building relationships with the men helping us and those that come and visit us to see what is happening. These wells will provide more access to water and healthier water due to the wells being enclosed. But, more importantly, will give us an opportunity to tell them about their greatest need, knowing the Living Water, Jesus Christ. (John 4:4-30)

Please pray for these things:

• - Safety for the men digging the wells
  - Completion of the wells before we arrive
  - Safety for us as we install the pipe and pumps on the wells
  - For the Gospel to be shared with clarity and for many to come to know Christ as their Savior

Below are photos that have been taken of the wells during construction.

Jeff Wilson

The efforts they make just to get to church is something that we have been so convicted by witnessing. They will walk 2 1/2 hours down a dusty mountain to get on a bus to travel another hour just to be with other believers for a baptism. The support and love they have for other believers is awesome.

They see God’s provision in everything and it’s true!! He is working in these communities with dedicated pastors and church members. They are overjoyed to meet and worship with fellow believers from the U.S.  I find myself in tears when I see God working in their hearts and in mine.

God is so big and working in places that we don’t even know exist. His love for his people is a tangible thing that we have been so honored to witness this week. Missions has a new meaning!

Jeannie Langley

In his letters, Paul spoke several times about desiring to go somewhere or send someone else in order that the believers in a particular location would be encouraged. This encouragement has probably been one of the most obvious effects that we have had, but it was definitely a two-way street. I am not sure how it is possible to be more encouraged than I have been by the faithfulness and Christ-like attitudes of the Nicaraguan believers.  When our translators were busy, broken Spanish, a smile, and a pat on the back communicated profoundly. This cross-cultural unifying love that transcends language barriers is an example of the way God intends for local churches to act together as the whole body of Christ.

Wednesday evening in Platanal, as I was sitting on the tailgate of one of our trucks, a crowd of children began to gather around. In my broken Spanish and with the help of one of our translators, I attempted to converse with them. I was not always sure what they were saying, but it always seemed like sentences that contained the word “gringo” always ended in a burst of laughter. One of the young girls asked me if we could play “pato, pato, ganso!”(“duck, duck, goose!”) a game the previous Severns team played with them. So we circled up and played.

It was bittersweet to say our last goodbyes to the people of San Francisco on Tuesday, as I know it will be tonight when we leave Platanal for the last time. I am certain that I am not the only one in our group who has already begun praying for the opportunity to return sometime in the future. In any case, I am grateful for this occasion to be both used and blessed.

Following the baptism services we ate lunch and began passing out Bibles in San Francisco.  We passed out 80 Bibles that day and also had a session with them as we discussed the importance of scripture and tried to help them understand how to navigate their new Bible.  When we asked how many of them had ever had a Bible, only a handful raised their hand.  Our prayer is that they will grow to love it even more than they do today as they read more and more about God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Praise God for such a wonderful day.  We are all doing well and are falling in love all over again with these people!

Sara Wilson

Each person going on this trip is preparing to share their testimony at a moment’s notice. Our challenge is to be prepared for all opportunities God may afford to us. Paul says this to believers in the little town of Colosse…

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Col 4:3-4 ESV

Before Christmas we asked the church to help us provide Bibles to those in Nicaragua. Most people in Nicaragua have never had a Bible and have never been encouraged to read the Bible. So our main focus will be two fold:

1) Give out as many Bibles as we can carry to Nicaragua.
2) Teach those who receive a Bible that it is God’s Word written to them and that they need to read it to learn how to follow Him.

We are excited about this wonderful opportunity and how God, through His Word, can change these two communities and the Northwest part of Nicaragua. Would you pray with us that this prayer would be true to those we are going to meet?

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Col. 1:9-10 ESV

- Jeff Wilson

We had our cookout in San Francisco this afternoon and it is truly awesome how God provides. At both our cookout last night and tonight God has made the food stretch perfectly. For those of us who, like me, have some trouble fully understanding how Jesus fed the five thousand will no longer have such a problem. The people of Nicaragua are family and all of us are at peace with the absolute truth that if we do not get the pleasure of meeting again here on Earth, we can rest assured that we will see our brothers and sisters in Christ one day in Heaven. I know this in my head, but my heart still aches with the pain of leaving this beautiful place.

On the hour-and-a-half-long drive we had coming back from San Francisco to Somotillo, Kelsea and I got the pleasure of spending the ride speaking with our new friend Domingo. We got to hear his testimony and he shared some of the struggles he faced in high school and I could definitely relate. The sense of community within our group and forged through the relationships we have made with the Nicaraguans is revitalizing to the soul. It is a disconcerting feeling to be physically drained and emotionally full, but I’m not complaining.

This trip has been powerful and my mind is already racing ahead to how I’m going to start learning Spanish the day we get home. Through prayer and God opening doors, I’m completely ready to make missions an emphasis in my life. I cannot wait to get home and start living with the truths God has revealed to me while I have been here. God is great, and he blesses all of his children in amazing ways. Always to him be the glory.

Erin Langley

Today was our second full day on mission for our Savior Jesus Christ and each day we are learning to step out of our comfort zones and to be bold in our witness to the sweet and gracious people of Nicaragua.

This morning we traveled to an elementary school in San Fransisco del Norte, a village  high in lush mountains about an hour from our home base in Somotillo.  We were greeted by squeals of joy and many greetings of “hola” as we disembarked to share information about our lives in the United States and most importantly, to build relationships with the eager children.

Our afternoon was spent in La Platanal, a small, poor village in need of a Baptist church. Despite their lack of material possessions, they are joyful and warm.  Children of all ages, parents, and elders gathered around a ball field as our SVBC youth and adults played soccer, conversed in broken Spanish, shared smiles when we had no words, and organized games of Duck, Duck, Goose. This special time ended too soon but with the promise of our return tomorrow–Hast Manana!– for a community barbeque and worship service.

As we are developing relationships and building bridges, we know that God is working through us to grow their desire to know our Heavenly Father who offers salvation through Jesus Christ. How humbling and what a gift to serve as the hands and feet of Christ.

Please continue to pray that we will continue to serve Jesus as workmen who are unashamed to share the truth of salvation.

With a humble and grateful heart,
Jan O’Daniel