As I sit here on a borrowed computer in a hotel in Atlanta, I find myself with too much to say, and yet nothing that seems to make sense as I start typing. Our team has shared everything from clothes and toothpaste to laughter and tears. We have bonded over new experiences in a foreign country, and have come back with a bigger picture of the amazing God we serve. I know by now the stories are starting to spill out to family and friends. The mixed reactions and emotions of coming home are catching up with me, and leaving the community of our small team is bittersweet....

Hello everyone!    This trip has been AMAZING! I´m a little bit sick but that´s okay.The people here are amazing….but God used a two mile hike (uphil at an unforgiving elevation) to let me shed my expectations, personal desires, and the way that my life was before this trip. At the top of the hike was the most incredible waterfall I have ever seen! There was a pool of water at the bottom to swim in. I layed flat on my back in the water and stared up at this magnificent creation the made me feel so tiny. I litterally felt like I was laying in the arms of God. He...

God has taught me alot on this trip about prayer, trust, community, grief, joy, and alot more.  I´ve felt close to God at some times and at others wondered why he didn´t show himself more clearly.  He has also taught me alot about the gifts he has given me as well as goals for the future that I am very excited about.  I love this opportunity to be completely forcused on serving God and I can´t wait to live out what I have learned  when I go home.  <oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you.  I will seek you in the morning, and I...

 We arrived at the children’s home on Saturday afternoon. Helen informed us that the weekend would be very relaxed, which meant Sunday (the Fourth of July) was completely free. On my last trip to the island, we wanted to visit this amazing waterfall on the smaller of the two volcanos that make up Ometepe. I mentioned this to the team and the question of what we would do all day was solved. No one in our group wanted to spend Fourth of July thinking about what our families were doing back in the states. So we loaded up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hired a guide, and took...

 Thursday we discovered a new ministry we very much enjoyed. We worked most of the day sorting and putting coats of varnish on beads made from recycled magazine paper, which will then be made into bracelets by local Nicaraguans. The bracelets are sold at various stores here in Granada, as well as a few in the States. The project was originally started to raise money for VidaJoven (YoungLife in the States). Now, the workers also have the opportunity to be paid a fair wage and are continually in an environment that points them toward Christ.     Most of Friday was spent...

We spent yesterday morning taking pictures for Nicaraguan families. At the end of the session, we decided to take a few silly pictures of our own. Taylor, who has an incredible imagination, came up with some great ideas. Anna Z., who loves to laugh, egged her on. The result was 30 minutes of fake moustaches, pig noses, stuffed cows and mayhem. Pray for the team as there has been a virus going around and we are not feeling 100%. Everyone is still up and moving, except for myself. Half of the team will be taking it easy over the next few days as we try to build up our immune systems with...