On Tuesday morning we said our last goodbyes to our wonderful family in Jinotepe. It was way harder than a lot of us anticipated. The way that these people impacted our lives was tremendous. I loved getting to know each and every one of them. Leaving made me realize how much these people love us and care about us. I heard about a thousand times throughout the final days there, "God bless you," "God will protect you and be with you," "Don't forget me," "I love you," and "It has been a blessing for you to be here." These sweet phrases were so special for me because I know that they really meant them. I feel like we really did finish well with the people here in Jinotepe.
Let me introduce you to some of my family here and a little of how they helped me grow:
This is Juan/Cristiano. He is pretty much my very own Nicaraguan little brother. He is the sweetest child you could ever meet. He has taught me what boldness really means. He preached in church one day and as I walked in kinda late, the first thing I noticed was that he had everyone's attention. He speaks so those will listen because he knows how important it is for him to be speaking truth and life into his peers. He reminds me of a little brother because I love to watch him grow and love Jesus. You see, Jono, my real little brother, has been growing at home and it's so encouraging to see! God is going to do some crazy things through this child.
These are the people that became like our second family in Jinotepe. Since the first week we were there they opened up their homes to us and loved our weekly visits with them. We enjoyed teaching English to them and singing hymns in Spanish. At one point Anna and I were at their house for about 4 hours. We talked about the most random things, such as, vegetables we like to eat, the cities in the area, our families, and so much more. These people were so loving and I could tell that a lot when we would try to communicate something they were very patient with us. They had to be especially patient with us when we came to cook lunch for them. I learned a lot from their family as I saw a great light in them. They loved people like Jesus did, as they were so very hospitable to our group. I feel so blessed to have met them all!
Here is a great picture of all the boys of Nueva Vida. They all have great energy and love to be at the church for the services, to play soccer, or just to be there instead of home. Many of them came from gangs so they love to be genuinely cared for. They were fun to be with and laughed at about everything we said and did. The moment I will never forget is just watching them gather around each other in prayer at the end of one of the church services. Them coming together like that was so encouraging for me. I feel like they really do have their priorities straight in putting God first in their lives no matter what. They know so well how much Jesus did for them and it's great to see them at such a young age (13-16 years old) devoting their lives to serving God. Nueva Vida has been a place where they have found hope and freedom in Christ and they are running with it!
This is Elba Maria. She was literally sent from God to our team. We randomly ran into her in Jinotepe by the Supermercado. She wanted to talk with us in English because she has been going to school to learn English and has also been teaching it. As many of us on the team were not very good at speaking Spanish it was fabulous to have her come to the church and translate for us. She made such an impression on me because of how much she trusted in God for everything. We heard most of her story throughout the time she was with us and even with how little she has, this woman is so strong in her faith. She works very hard for her 2 children and gives glory to God in everything she does. I want to take that quality for myself as I try to become less of myself. I want all that I do to glorfiy the King of Kings and not just do things in a way to make myself look better. She loves to praise God and sing also. It was great seeing her light up whenever she talked about what God was doing in her life or how she wanted to be with us or serve us in some way. I love her so much!
Oh our wonderful translator, Carlos! He lives at Nueva Vida and loves to serve God by translating for the church. I was able to hear some of his story and just seeing God's protection over him was really inspiring. Coming from a childhood of living in orphanages he understands the value in people genuinely loving and caring for others. He is always willing to lend a hand and be there for people. His past has taught him to not take for granted what he has now in his life. That's something I feel like I learned from him. That no matter who you are or what your past was like, God can use you. No matter who somebody is or what they've done, I need to love them like Jesus would. Can't wait to see how God uses him in the future to further His Kingdom!
Over these next few days of debrief before we go to Thailand, we are processing through our time in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. The ways we were changed by God through these people are endless. The feeling of peace I have knowing we left a mark on these people's lives is incredible. I want to bring what I learned about courage, love, boldness, service, to the people in Thailand.
In the words of one of my teammates, Angela, "I'm so glad this is not the last time we will worship together because we will be praising God together in Heaven!" So on Tuesday morning we did not say "Goodbye," we said "See you later!"
