Multiplying!?

Yes we are! I'm currently 10 weeks pregnant! We are excited to announce this new grace in our lives. The picture above is of a baby at 10 weeks. So, baby looks about like that.

I'm thankful because I've experienced a problem free first trimester with mild morning sickness and there are only a few weeks to go until entering the second trimester!

The other day I was reflecting on this new little life in me and thinking, "God, I want to know exactly what you say regarding Baby. How do you see the baby? What does your Word say about Baby?

So, I began to read and learned the following about this little one's identity in God.

Baby is:

Created in God's image Gen.1:27
Made in his likeness James 3:7
Personally created by God Malachi 2:10
Molded and shaped within the womb Job. 10:8-12
Formed in the womb Isaiah 44:2
Knit in the womb and personally known by God

Psalm 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

All it's days are already planned out Psalm 139:16

This is pretty amazing!

High School Retreat

This Friday we will be hosting a retreat for a group of 60 seniors. It will start at 8 and go until 3 in the afternoon. We usually hold these activities at the same place where we have our summer camps. The youth hear what the Bible has to say about salvation, godly friendships, sex according to the Bible and more. After they hear the teaching they split into small groups where they talk about it on a more personal level. The teachings are alternated with dynamic games, hamburgers for lunch and free time in the pool. Please pray that God would speak to the hearts of these youth during this activity and that many would come to know Him.

Paid in Full

So, I was cleaning out some things here in the apartment and came across an acoustic CD with different hymns. It was actually Jader's, now it's both of ours, :) and I had never listened to it before. I excitedly popped it into the computer and began to listen. All of the songs were beautiful but this one really stood out to me. I began to think on the lyrics and praise God for the gift of His Son and the freedom that He brings to my soul.

What great love God showed us in sending Jesus, His own Son, to the earth to be crucified on a cross and to rise to life again to pay the debt for sin. This was His purpose. We have all sinned against God and He provided the only way for reconciliation. Please listen to the lyrics, read the lyrics and let God minister to your heart like He did mine.


I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now in-deed I find,
Thy power, and thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots,
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I,
Where-by the grace to claim;
I'll wash my garments white,
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.


“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool’” (Isaiah 1:18).

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).

Kino..what?

Okay so it's called Quinoa and it one amazingly yummy Peruvian grain and you can get in your local HEB health food bins. I just finished devouring Quinoa soup and if my stomach were're already uncomfortably full I'd be going back for more. I'll share with you guys the recipe and the wonderful nutritious facts about this Peruvian delight.

Here are the facts:

Pronounced “kinwah”, it’s a pseudocereal that grows in the Andean zone. It was of great nutritional value in ancient times, together with the potatoes and maize(corn). The quinoa has a lot of protein (12%-18%) and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids. Besides, it’s a good source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Quinoa doesn’t have gluten and it’s easy to digest.

Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is used by the NASA for long duration manned spaceflights. So, if the astronauts use it, why don’t you?

The Recipe:

Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:

200 g (7 oz) of quinoa (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
6 cups of water
1 tablespoon of ground garlic
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 bell pepper
1 chopped onion
2 medium potatoes, cut in pieces
3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Preparation:

Prepare a sesoning frying the onion, garlic, pepper and cumin. When it’s ready, add the water, the washed quinoa and the potatoes. Season with salt.

Before serving, add the egg (beaten, if you want) and the chopped bell pepper.

I made mine without the eggs and also after sauteeing the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and adding the water I added chicken and let it boil for about 15 minutes in order to have a chicken based broth. Then I added the other ingredients as follows. Oh yeah, I also added carrots. It's so nutritious and a good substitute for rice or pasta.

You can also make quinoa cakes, pilaf, put it in salad, eat it like an oatmeal for breakfast, and the list goes on!

Did you know?

Okay, so I'm always learning new things here in Nicargua and I thought it would be good to pass on the knowledge. Maybe you already know these things, but I was suprised.

Did you know that chickens sleep in trees?

Yup, I'm a Houston girl and not too familiar with livestock and country living. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I had no idea! I always thought chickens slept in a chicken coup and maybe that's how it is in the U.S. but here it's different.

We have an animal outside our apartment window that always makes noises at night. One night Jader's aunt was over and she said, "Is it a chicken?" I replied. "Ha, that's funny! Chickens in trees!" She didn't take time to inform me or maybe she didn't catch that I was clueless. It wasn't until later that Jader told me that chickens really do sleep in trees here. He said it's their way of staying safe from preditors. I think what we have in the tree outside is an owl. I've seen an owl flying around at night, but I can never spot him in the tree.

Did you know that mango trees give off tons of flowers?

The mango trees outside our house are about to give off mangos so right now they are filled with little brown buds that fly all over the place. It's been windy lately so they creep their way into the house, they fall upon all the clothes on the line and cover the ground like snow. I had no idea. But, the fruit that results from all those buds makes it well worth it!

Did you know that you can bake gingerbread without the powdered McCormick version of ginger?

I've never heard of baking gingerbread or any other yummy ginger good without using powdered ginger until coming here and not being able to find powdered ginger. I began to ask around and usually Nicaraguans don't bake with ginger, really it's rare for a Nicraguan to bake. It's not part of their culture like it is in the U.S. But, I did find out from a U.S. missionary that you can use real ginger root by grating it and toasting it then adding it to the recipe. I have yet to try it though. I have a feeling that my gingerbread will come out way too strong!

Did you know that molasses and cows are a great combination?

So, I discovered this while trying to hunt down molasses in Nicargua. I checked out all supermarket chains and small food stores and could not find molasses, but what I did find out is that it can be purchased from the veterinarian. Yup, because they feed it to their cows! Molasses actually can help improve a cow's appetite, increase the amount of milk a cow produces and cause the meat to be of higher quality. I haven't broken down and purchased the molasses yet because I'm doubting that it meets the FDA's mark of approval for human consumption. Hmmm, I guess I'll keep my eye open when I'm at the grocery store. Maybe some day it will be in stock.

Testimonies of God's work

God blessed us with a wonderful camp season that lasted three weeks and 415 people participated whether as campers or camp staff. We had almost 70 Nicarguan youth on the camp staff who sacrificed their vacation time and even had to pay their way in order to serve. The camp counselors worked hard spending every minute of the day with their campers and any free time they used to counsel campers one on one using the Bible. 97 of the campers decided to put their faith in Christ and many of these new believers are attending weekly Bible Clubs to continue growing. God has been so good and we thank Him for His provision, His strength, His protection, guidance, and the work He did in the lives of so many people. May this work continue to reach many other Nicaraguans with the grace of Christ.

I have already posted some pictures of camp, but I would like to post some testimones of youth that wrote about what God did in their hearts during their time at camp. Here are just a few of the many that we received!

My name is Juan and I was invited by the church Encuentro con Cristo. The most important decision that I made this week was to accept Christ as my only Savior realizing that He poured out His blood on the cross for my salvation. What I liked most about camp was hearing the word of God, reading the Bible, and learning new things. Now that camp is ending I desire to put in practice what I learned and make the most of my life by preaching the gospel of Christ to others.

My name is Miguel. The most important decision that I made during camp was to repent of all of my sins and accept Christ as my Savior. What I enjoyed most about camp were the games and how they shared the word of God. Now that camp has come to an end I desire to change my life, follow Christ, and learn from His word.

My name is Eliezer and I was invited by the church Encuentro con Cristo. The most important decision that I made this week was to put my faith in Christ and change things that don’t please Him. Also I decided to start going to church and learn more about Christ. What I liked most about camp was accepting Christ in my heart, and making new friends. I’m thankful for my counselor Alvaro because he showed me who Christ is, and also I’m thankful for my brother who invited me. Now that camp is over I desire to give time to God and walk out the decisions that I made.

My name is Anita and I was invited by the church Ebenezer. The decision that I made this week was to accept that I was living a merely religious life and now I want to serve God as He calls me to. A life of holiness is my goal. I want to share with others about God and no longer be self-centered. What I liked most about camp was having a counselor there who was always willing to listen. It’s a camp that marks a difference because every moment they are speaking the word of God. Now that camp is over I want to share with my friends about Christ and ask my mom for forgiveness for things I have done.