Project Nicaragua in Motion

We had tickets for June 15-29th,

(accidentally bought on expedia.com.uk payed in pounds):

The time came for us to leave. I had sent numerous emails to orphanages, YWAM bases, missionaries, friends, and friends of friends. NO ONE had gotten back to me yet. I had neglected to tell my brother Matt that simple fact just incase he might panic. One leg into our journey (Boston MA to Houston TX) Matt began to ask me about our plans.... I had no choice but to tell him all I had was one last phone number to try. He let me use his cell phone while he went to the bathroom. When he came back he asked, "Sooo what happened?"

"I left a message"

He looked at me with fear in his eyes.

All I could say as our flight to Managua Nicaragua began to board was,

"Don't worry, we will have a place to stay, a translator and we will have friends."

We turned off our only cell phone that would not work again until we got back and boarded our flight. I took the window Matt took the middle and waited to see who else would share our row on this adventure. A older beautiful Nicaraguan woman named Ermida Sanchez sat down next to us. We began to talk to her and the first thing she told us was, "Practica hablar espanol muy importante." We talked during the entire flight. I shared with her my vision to empower, educate and employ girls who have been rescued from child prostitution in Nicaragua. The first step towards this goal is buying land and establishing a self sufficient "off the grid" community including a surf hotel and a school for english, basic medicine and hygiene, trades, art and agriculture. I believe it moved her the most because she knows the need in her country for such a thing. And for me to care enough to step out towards it purely because God told me to truly touched her heart. She then proceeded to ask us about our more specific plans and was very surprised to find out we had NONE....... After a very long pause she said, "Well a driver and my niece, that you would like very much, are waiting for me at the airport you could come home with me for the night I have a few rooms. I have always considered converting my house into a bed an breakfast."

In the next 24 hours, we were escorted through spanish speaking customs, driven to a home, well fed, had two beds, a fan, an air conditioner that we couldn't bring ourselves to use, a pool in the back yard, a driver, a grandma, a mom, two translators, two house keepers, and three great friends: Lya a famous Nicaraguan jazz and blues singer, Kevin a semi professional basketball player in the UK, and Ermida. All of which we felt like we had known forever. On top of all that before our first day was over Matt had installed two ceiling light and fan fixtures for the house!

Talk about ADVENTURE!

Where is the Ketchup?

When I would go on walks with my Mom and Dad as a kid, I would always fall behind. Half because my legs were much shorter than theirs and half because I loved what happens next. My Dad would notice that I was a little to far off and say, "Where is the ketchup?" As soon as I heard that I would always start running until I was right in between them. When I got there they would stop and hug each other and almost squish me. There is no place as their kid that I would rather be. Right in between the people that made and really love me. And as God child he always does one better! PSALM 117 "Praise the Lord, all you nations. For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!"

I am about to retrace my steps over the past 6 months (January - June) so you can see how faithful in every detail God has been and will be. I wish I could tell you every story but you would never have time to read it all. I will just have to write a book one day. I know this is long but travel with me:::::::>

Bail Indonesia February:
The Bali girls had just moved out of a hotel and back into the Surf House/Christian Hostel. When Teresa, from Germany realized that she had left her iPod in the hotel. The panic that ensued was a bit ridiculous. We grabbed a taxi and started to pray loud and passionately that she would be able to get it back and that no one would have stolen it yet. When we got to the Hotel I waited in the taxi and tried to explain to the taxi driver what was going on. All he said was "I pray too." When Teresa got back to the taxi she was ecstatic but she didn't just have the iPod in her hands she also had a photo. She showed it to me and said, "We found this picture under the bed, we should pray for them." It was my picture! I had put it in my Bible to remind me to pray for them myself, and it must have fallen out. The picture was of my brother Matthew and his wife Caitlin.

Backpacking down the east coast of Australia March:
During the Bible school part of this adventure I had been emailing back and forth with my friend Gina who was nannying in greece and was not very happy there. I had been sharing with her about God and suggested she go to Australia. I mean why not, I loved it! She had liked the idea but hadn't shown a lot of interest. I had been back packing south since my DTS was over with my friend Wilma a week in my surf board broke in Byron Bay, two weeks in Wilma's flight left from Sydney. This is the first time I have been alone in 5 months. I was sitting in an unfamiliar YWAM base in the very boring capitol of Australia called Canberra. I hopped on the internet and had an email from Gina. She had arrived in Melbourne Australia a few days before and wondered if I was still there. Not only was I still in the country I was headed to the same city she was in the very next day. Melbourne was were my fight was back to the US from. Without cell phones and limited internet access we managed to meet at the City Library and spend my last day in Australia with her! (We also went to the largest Casino in the Southern Hemisphere that night and played the penny slots until me both list 1$)

April back in New Hampshire a month of Conformation:
Now that I was back on US soul with all of this newly found passion and I wanted to know from God, "What next?" The second Sunday back at my home church (Christ Church of Amherst) at the end of the service the man sitting in front of me turned around and asked if he could tell me something. Being naturally curious and not knowing what was coming I just said yes. Mr.Johnson, as I know him now, told me that I look exacting like a girl named Bethany that he had met during him time in Nicaragua. As soon as he said the word Nicaragua I began to cry. I had known for a while now that I would be called to Central America but I didn't know when or where. He continued to tell me of how this girl is the house mother for about twenty girls from the ages of 6 to 18 that have been rescued from child prostitution. As my heart broke he gave me her contact information and told me he didn't know if I needed to go or just talk to her.

One week later: I was with one of my best friends Naomi in my favorite consignment clothing shop (Mother & Child). I was in a section I had never been in before talking to one of the employees that I know about my adventures. When a lady, who I now know as Diana but was a stranger at the time, said from about 5 feet away, "YOU NEED TO GO TO NICARAGUA." I called Naomi over quickly and asked her to repeat herself. "I have this weird feeling you need to go to Nicaragua. I just got back and I plan to own land there in the next two years. And when you go you have to go to the volcano island called Ometepe!" This woman is not yet a christian and her only association is she reads mother teresa's books to her very elderly grandmother often. We talked to her for at least an hour all about her travels, human trafficking, love146 (if you don't know about them google it), the terrible food industry in America (The movie Food inc. also google it), and what we can do to be involved in our community here. Some of the last words she said to Naomi and I was, " I am so glad to see you girls so young and already on the right path."

Now if I don't go, it's on me! May:
I had been planning to speak at my church about my experience with YWAM but had yet to set the date. I chose May 30th because it was the day after my cousin Lauren's wedding and tons of Family would still be around and I thought that would be a great opportunity. Not realizing it was also my brother Matthews birthday. I also decided that if enough money showed up i would go to Nicaragua this summer and look into buying land. Which let me remind you I am 20 that seems a little ambitious. But if I have only learned one this in the past year it would be WITH GOD NOT JUST ANYTHING BUT EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!! So I started making crafts, handmade things, fun things, cute things and useful things. (Don't worry I am starting an Etsy account so you can all see and buy what I make. It should all be up and running by monday so stay tuned) I felt like I was not supposed to plan what I was going to speak but just to let God speak though me and God also told me I either had to empty my bank account or sell everything for donation not what I think it is worth. Hard but OK God is in control. (repeat that to yourself) When it came down to the night I was scared. But we started with a few worship songs to take the focus off me and put it on God because that should be the point ALWAYS. I honestly don't know what I said but I would guess it was a summery of all the things I have learned and written about in my blog so don't feel bad that you missed it just read all of my entrees before this! haha At the end of the night my brother Matthew came up and asked me when I was going, I said I don't know... soon. And then he asked me who was going with me, and I said I don't know.... his response surprised me, "Ummm, I think I might be supposed to come with you."

My only response to that was, "If that is true, then you will see conformation of it."






PS: More than enough money showed up for the tickets and the trip itself... Now I am left with no excuse I have to go. PRAISE THE LORD!!! :)