Nicaragua Construction Team Flight Updates

The team is expected to land in Charlotte tonight at 11:35 PM, American Airlines flight 3533. For flight updates, go to https://www.aa.com/travelInformation/fsnAccess.do?anchorEvent=false&from=Nav.  You will need to enter the following information and select the method for which you would like to receive notifications (email, text or voice message).

Departure Date: 1/25/2013

Departure City: MIA

Flight Number: 3533

Arrival City: CLT 

Friday before Departure

Getting ready to board the van for the airport.  See you soon. Dios le bendiga.

Ended our final morning praying for the city from the roof of the hotel and praying for Pastor Alan and Sylvia.

Thursday Morning

Our last morning here started with men gathering around the four corners of the church praying that God would draw men to be the pillars of this church.  We have pastors and men here from three churches today, which is a big help...our team more than doubled in size.

32 holes 4 feet by 4 feet dug by the beautiful bulldozer ---now  trying to get as many filled as possible before we leave.  

After hearing Pastor Ruben's testimony of how God spared his life when he was about to be executed by guerrillas and how The Lord has allowed him to plant 30 churches in Northern Nicaragua, Don blessed him with one of the hats given to one of the Jimmy Johnson championship teams.  We all agree, Pastor Ruben is a Winner in the Kingdom!

Wednesday - Working at Construction Site

Pouring concrete into the first corner...exciting moment.

How many miles of wire have we cut?

Teamwork gets the job done

Update on Harrison

If you followed the missions blog this past summer, you will remember a story about a young boy named Harrison.  We met Harrison on the street in Matagalpa.  He was on crack and running drugs, yet all of us who met him could see there was something special about him.  He accepted Jesus into his heart, and he captured our hearts.  We prayed hard for his healing and for freedom from the evil men who were using him.   On Tuesday morning as we arrived to the site, we were once again greeted by a band of boys.  There was a new boy in the mix and when I said hello to him, I thought, "I know this boy."  Once he smiled, I said, "Harrison, are you Harrison."  With a big grin he said, "yes, I heard the pastor was building a church and I want to help."  Gone was the scratching from the crack.  Gone are drug dealers, Gone is the confused look in his eyes.

Tuesday Morning Update

Pastors from two other towns joined us at the construction site this morning.  Fortunately, we were able to rent a Bobcat for the morning to dig out the perimeter of the church, probably saving us a couple of days of hand digging.  Never seen people so excited to be greeted by a big yellow machine.

So what have we been doing the last couple of days?  Making about 40 of these towers. 

Only have another 30 to go.

Carol has a new skill...master brace maker.  We figure in the last 2 days she has joyfully made 555 of these.  Yesterday after standing at this bench and bending wire for about 5 hours, she said, "I'm so happy. Everyone of these represents some who will come to this Church and meet Jesus."  That's what I call working with a Kingdom perspective.

Monday-Construction Site

Team Errol working hard together 

Monday-Pastor Allen & Sylvia

Before going to the construction site this morning, Pastor Allen and Sylvia shared with the team their testimony and their journey of becoming the church planters in Matagalpa.  pastor Allen shared that he once was a solider trained to kill people, but now He has been trained by the Holy Spirit to kill the works of darkness.

Upon coming to Matagalpa they knew no one.  They felt like Abraham who had been called to leave everyone he knew and all the comforts of familiarity.  To date, they have visited over 1500 homes in Matagalpa (most have more than one family living in it.) They have shared the message of Christ and given each family a New Testament.  Many people they have ministered to once followed Christ, but leafy the Church because they felt no one truly cared about them.  after visiting with them, many have returned to Church.  even though they are disappointed the people have not chosen to attend the church they are planting, they rejoice they are returning to their walk with Christ and are confident The Lord will add to their numbers as they focus on advancing the Kingdom in this City.

Because the Jehovah Witnesses's have a disciplined evangelistic strategy active in the city, the team prayed for The Holy Spirit to give Pastor Allen and Sylvia the divine ability to break through the confusion in people's minds about Christ and His Grace.  

Off we go to build the church ...which the gates of hell will not prevail against.

Sunday

While the men were ministering at the Matagalpa church, 75 women from four surrounding towns met in the hotel for a special worship service.  The lady on the far left, Sdelma shared at the end of the message that she had walked away from The Lord many years ago.  A neighbor who attends the Matagalpa church invited her to attend this morning's special service.  She shred that  during one point of the teaching, she felt like God was talking just to her, that He wasn't mad at her, but want her to get to know Him fresh.  Then she asked an important question, "what if my neighbor hadn't invited me? I would have missed hearing God today." she ended by encouraging all the women to have the courage to invite their friends to church.  someone who had drifted reminded us to "make disciples."

It meant a lot to the children to have the men ministering to them today.

In between morning and evening worship services the team prayer walked around City Hall, praying for the newly elected mayor and other government representatives that just took office last week.  we pray the Matagalpa church will have favor in recieving all their permit approvals and that the Church will be a blessing to these newly elected leaders.

During the evening service in Sebaco, we invited the churches to join Grace Covenant in 2013 to encourage people to answer the call to "Be One, Make One,For One."   Presenting new church banner to Pastor Pedro, one of our Bible Institute graduates and pastor of one of the Foursquare churches in Sebaco.  

The churches there combined for the evening service and we worshipped outside under the stars on a beautiful night.

Saturday Night

After a long day of creating wire frames, twisting wire and preparing for column footings...nothing like sitting down for a good cup of Nicaraguan coffee.  Tomorrow the fellows will be leading Sunday School acting out David and Goliath.  It ought to be memorable.  

Saturday-Working at Site

Some young workers were on site to help us get started this morning.

Saturday-Church Building Permit

The church received the building permit two days before we arrived, so we are "the launch team" for construction of the church.  it is a beautiful property, surrounded by homes.  For the team who was here in the summer of 2012, the property is walking distance of the park with the " the tree of life."

Saturday Worship

Before our construction efforts began on this first morning, We had the privilege of being the first people to worship The Lord on the land The Lord has provided for His Church.

Nicaragua Construction Team Has Arrived

The team landed safely in Nicaragua at 1:37 PM.  After going through customs and having lunch, they will leave the airport for the 3-hour drive to Matagalpa through the mountains.  May God's grace abound as they enter into His assignment.