Working through the sweat!

Today, very simply, was a work day! It started early with a great breakfast and team rundown and then we were off to the races! Some of the team painted the inside and outside of the new girls dormitory. (You could recognize them because they were covered in white paint). Some of the team painted the food storage trailer. (They were the ones covered in red. ) And some renewed the steps and gardens surrounding the main auditorioum in the church. (They were the ones covered in dirt.) But one thing we all had in common...sweat...lots of sweat. You didn't even have to do much (I should know...I was in charge of feeding this hoarde so was responsible for securing sustenance) to sweat.

Brian and I bought food for lunches for the scheduled workdays ahead. Part of that process involved buying fresh fruit from a roadside vendor. Hear me when I say (or more correctly, write) this...oranges and apples just don't have the same appeal anymore! Fresh mangos, papayas, bananas, melons...you name it and they had it. The team devoured the fruit like a bunch of wolves hungry for a meal.

We worked hard until it was time to go back to the hostel to change for the Thursday night church service. The worship leader was great. But it got really good when he lead us in the spanish version of "From the Inside Out". Wow! What a blast to be able to worship in an entirely different language. And here's the really cool part...our skit team, which has been practicing for weeks in preparation for this mission trip, was using the EXACT song as part of their skit! It was wonderful and well received by the Nica's.

The rest of the team was able to serve the little ones in the attached feeding center during the skit. Mundo and Aaron started a little game of "Thumb War" with a couple of the children and then all kinds of  fun ensued. It ended, of course, with Daniel at the bottom of a pack of Nicaraguan kids, all giggling and laughing.

On a side note, Brian received an e-mail from Don Rudolfo, the pastor with whom we passed out fliers, that the newest of the four churches in Leon had a record turnout the day after we helped to get the word out! God is wonderful!!

Tomorrow we're off to Selva Negra in the mountains. The kids are realy looking forward to "Tip Top Chicken" too. (Not really...most still blame Tip Top for getting sick last year. :) ) It's also a prep day before our big work day in La Esmeralda. Saturday we plant 350 fruit trees! Plus we will help clean the clinic, which, by the way, should now have a doctor for our clinic now, pending the outcome of a final interview! Again...God is awesome!

I hope to update the blog from the mountains as long as we have decent connections there! Thanks for your prayers!

Clif