This month started out with a TON of sales! We were
blessed with several opportunities in Tegucigalpa (the capital city that we’re
about an hour outside of) to sell the jewelry and other things made by the
trade school students. Because they were specifically for Christmas, we got a
group of students together to make Christmas ornaments, wreaths, and paper bead
garland.
Just a few of the beautiful Christmas wreaths the students made!
One ornament in particular, which one of our youngest
students and myself had been making (he was new at it and therefore slow, so I
contributed a few as well) ended up being WAY more popular than we had
anticipated and so we sold out before the end of the first sale at the US
Embassy. Praise the Lord! It was a HUGE blessing, and then we got several
orders for more, so we put the whole “Christmas team” onto making them and
cranked out 31 of them in just one day!
A few of my contributions to the sales.
The following week, we had three days of sales, two for
one school and one at another. Although these sales didn’t go as well as the
first one, it was still a blessing for the students, and I believe we’re
planning on attending at least one sale again next year!
J and I stayed in the city since the sales were in the
evenings and it was too late to be driving all the way back to the Ranch. It
was a nice little mini-vacation in the city. J stayed with a friend and I
stayed at a retreat center for a big non-profit organization which was really
nice. It was slightly outside the city and up the mountain a bit so the back
porch had an AMAZING view of the city and surrounding mountains.
We had all been waiting for the arrival of “Baby Cinco,”
who decided to arrive halfway through our three days of sales, so J headed back
to the Ranch and I went to one by myself with the help of another missionary.
As soon as I finished setting everything up, I got the text I had been waiting
for: Baby Cinco had arrived safely via a water birth attended by M, J and the
kids, and M’s parents. He was healthy and beautiful!
My first time meeting Baby Cinco!
The following week, we wrapped up girls and boys Bible
studies for 2016 by combining the two groups and watching a Spanish version of
the story of the birth of Christ, putting on a play about the birth of Christ,
and then doing a Christmas craft. It was a LOT of fun and the kids had a blast!
The angels announce the good news of Jesus' birth.
The shepherds come to worship the newborn King.
J gets the magi ready to follow the star to Bethlehem.
After that, I headed to Nicaragua to spend Christmas
there with Roberto, where we also GOT MARRIED!! Our original plan had been to
simply do the legal wedding so we could start the visa process, but then
decided to just go for it, and also put together a simple church wedding… In 2
days. It was insane and super stressful, but once it was done and we were
married, we were able to just hang out and relax for the rest of the time
together. (Special blog coming soon just about our wedding.)
Small and simple. <3
Christmas in Central America is different than the
States. Here, they celebrate on the 24
th, which they call “Noche
Buena.” They eat a big meal late in the evening with their families (around
11pm), and then at midnight, everyone lights off fireworks in the streets so
that it sounds like a war zone. Gifts are also often exchanged at that point.
Then on the 25
th, most people have the day off to just relax and
spend time with family.
My husband took me to see the many nativity scenes set up along one of the main roads.
Some were quite elaborate. This one had a waterfall behind it!
New Year’s Eve is often celebrated the same way, with
fireworks and a big meal late in the evening. Unfortunately for me, a meal I
had enjoyed earlier in the week had come back to haunt me, so I spent most of
New Year’s Eve in bed with frequent trips to the bathroom. However, by midnight
I was feeling slightly better and as the clock rolled over into the new year, I
was on my knees praying with my husband, undoubtedly the best way to ring in
the new year, recognizing how good God is and placing the new year fully into
His hands.
I am unbelievably excited about everything that this new
year has in store for myself and for my husband.
Please be praying:
-
For our marriage, that we continue to put God
first in everything we do and that we continue to learn how to love and support
each other, and for strength as we will be living most of our first few months
as a married couple separated as he completes his final semester at university in
Nicaragua and I continue to work at the Ranch.
-
For the trade school as we start up with full
days again and as we decide what the students will be making this year so that
they can have a good income through the ministry.
-
For the girls and boys Bible studies, that the
kids come with hearts softened and ears open to hear the gospel that we present
to them.
-
For the horses that God has prepared for the
Ranch that we don’t have yet, that God would make those connections and that we
would be able to bring more horses here to keep expanding the horse part of the
Ranch.
-
For finances, as Roberto plans on joining me at
the Ranch as soon as he can, so we will need to raise support for the two of
us.
If you are interested in supporting us financially, you
may do so online or by check.
Online: Visit
www.ro4y.com
and click the “Donate” button on the sidebar to give through PayPal. Make sure
you include my name (or Roberto’s) and your email address so the funds can be
directed to us.
By check: Make checks payable to “RO4Y” and include a
note with my name (or Roberto’s) and your email address, then send the checks
to: Rancho Oasis for Youth, P.O. Box 1853, Mason City, IA 50401.
My Christmas gift to Roberto: a painting inspired by a dream he had and then shared with me.
