A few days ago we had a banquet where over 50 people attended. Here are some photos of the banquet. Our purpose was to review all the ministry activites that took place over the last year and give thanks for all that God has done. Also we looked at the calendar for 2009 with anticipation for all that the next year holds.

Making Christmas Cookies

I love baking cookies and especially when I have a sweet little helper. Valeria and I enjoyed creating Christmas cookies together. They are suger cookies with a little lime twist to them. Very yummy! I hope you enjoy the photos!

Some photos

Here are some photos of what we do and the people we spend time with.

Sharing the gospel at an orphange

Bible Club leaders



More youth that we work with

Much to share

Well, I looked at my last blog entry date and realized that it was over two weeks ago! It's hard to believe that two weeks have passed since I last posted. Time seems to fly by here in Nicaragua!

I've explained in earlier blogs a little of what we do here in Nicaragua. There is a team 6 missionares working with the youth in 5 different local churches. Our annual calendar is full of various kinds of activities but at this time we are focusing on three weeks of youth camp that will be hosted here in January. The youth are excited and are inviting friends. Our goal is to have 300 campers total and we have a work crew of around 40. We're working on the camp theme, programs, games, food, decorations, and so much more. It's a lot to do for 6 people but many of the youth are sacrificing time and energy to help out.

Word of Life started up here in Nicaragua just about a year ago and we will be having a banquet tomorrow to celebrate all the God has done in the past year. We will have around 50 people dining at the Aguilar household. We're excited but there is much preparation to do! I'll be baking 4 pound cakes today! :)

Also, I have great news. Jader and I had decided a few months ago to designate a certain ammount of money in order to purchase a car. We have been traveling by bus and taxi but unfortunately you waste a lot of time waiting for the bus, etc. We began to pray and ask God to lead us in this process. I will have to make this very long car story short, but we were able to buy the car and picked it up yesterday. It's wonderful! Jader actually is using it now to run errands and I think he will get them done in at least half the ammount of time it would take him by bus. God is good. Also we got the car for a much better price than we were expecting!

I wish I had more time to write but I need to go and help prepare for the banquet we're having. Thanks for reading and keeping up with stuff here in Nicaragua!

Back in Nicaragua!

Hey there! I've arrived to Nicaragua and have been here a couple of days now. It's nice to be back and to see Jader and many others here who are special to me. The weather is pretty warm and more humid than Texas. I'm happy to be eating beans and rice just about every day and I love the beautiful nature of Nicaragua. I've been attending different local church activities and reconnecting with the youth that our ministry works with. We are preparing for three weeks of camp that we will host in January so it's a very busy time for us. I hope to take some pictures soon and post a little more about what we are up to. Thanks for reading the blog!

Tapati

I have a wonderful friend named Tapati. She's from India and I've known her over a year now. She's married and has a young son. We met one evening while I was taking a walk and I believe she and her family were walking back from Walmart. I learned that they had just arrived from India and we talked a bit about what a big change that must be for them. They told me where they lived and said I could stop by anytime. So, I did. :) That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. We've shared our different cultures with one another especially in the realm of food. :) I introduced her to chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and cupcakes, and she has served me NUMEROUS and I mean NUMEROUS yummy Indian dishes that are so spicy my nose runs and she always knows to hand me a stack of napkins. Actually, I often don't need the napkins anymore. I don't know if I'm getting more used to the food or if she'll make it a little less spicy for me. I like to believe my spicy tolerance is growing.

Also, Tapati is a faithful blog reader and keeps up with my blog even after more than a month of my not posting. She'll mention to me that I haven't written on my blog and it encourages me to know that she's interested and wants to know what's going on in my life. I'm so thankful to have Tapati as a friend and wanted to post just a tad of my appreciation for her on my blog. Thanks for being amazing, Tapati! :)

A free gift

I was reading in Bible this morning and came across some verses in Romans 10 that really spoke the truth of God to my heart. I'd love to share these verses with you!

In chapter 10 of the book of Romans Paul is talking about his own people, the Jews, and he is desiring that they be saved, or have right relationship with God. He says:

"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." Romans 10:3-4

He says they are zealous for God but it's not based on knowledge. They are not understanding an important truth. He says they did not know the righteosness that comes from God. Since they didn't know or understand this righteousness they began to try to establish their own righteousness out of their own strengths and efforts. They were zealous but zealous because they were busy earning their relationship with God. It looks like trying to be good or do good believing that it gives us some kind of credit before God.

Paul shares the key truth of the message of Jesus.

"Christ is the end of the law (He fulfills our righteousness) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:4

It's not based on our efforts, but our faith that "God made him who knew no sin (Jesus) to be sin for us, (die on the cross) so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

"The word (Jesus) is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified(made right with God)." Romans 10:8-9

This is the glory of Jesus, a restored relationship and peace with God.

"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith in to this grace which we now stand." Romans 5:1

We deserve spiritual death and separation from God because of our sin but because of His love He gives us relationship with Him for all of eternity!

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23

I'm with a thankful heart this morning and hope this encourages you!