the uncompromisables

Yesterday we went to a woman's house that lives just right outside the largest dump in Latin America, La Chureca, to pray. This woman, Ruby, and her family have spent the last 20 years right outside this dump ministering and praying for these people. Her family is a powerful testimony by their faithfulness to what God called them to do the last 20 years.

Somehow in just making conversation, all the most confrontational topics about the bible came up; if you had to be baptized to be saved, where your righteousness comes from, can women be pastors, can you lose your salvation.

One girl with us had recently started walking with the Lord and she was not baptized. And they began to tell her she had to get baptized if she really wanted to be saved.

On the ride back we began talking about it and realized that a few of them were really shaken up by the different views that Ruby had compared to themselves. They dwelled on these things for the next few hours of what is true and what is false against the word of God. I was just thinking how imporant it is to know the things that you will not compromise about your faith. For me, the one thing that stands out is the truth that God sent Jesus Christ to take on flesh and die for our sins by the pouring out of his blood on the cross.

I think we need to know our uncompromisables about our faith. Things that if they are changed, they change the message of the gospel. It is clear the bible opens the opportunities for people to stand on both sides of a lot of topics but there are a few that if you change them you change the way you follow Christ. I challenege you to look for those things for you and as said in 1 peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Michael.

So last Monday, Julio, Michael, and I went to the doctor to see about Michael getting a hearing aid. When we went we found out that they had to reschedule the appointment for the 13th. This was last Friday. So we took the bus home and wasted 1/2 a day for nothing. This this past Friday We took the 1hour and a half bus ride back to the doctor to have Michael tested.

When we got there, 2 min early, we were informed this appointment was the 13th of March not Feb. I was so disappointed that we wasted another half a day. So we went around Managua looking for another place to have him tested and found a woman that could do it that day at 3PM.


We had a few hours to kill but came back and got Michael tested. He is able to hear out of both ears and hearing aids will solve his problem which is a huge blessing. At this place they will cost 750 dollars and require a certain amount of maintenance. Like changing the batteries every month and getting the piece refit for his ear every 6months to a year. We have been talking about whether we are going to go with this place or shop for a better price. I will keep you posted soon...

excitement rises and falls in a day...

Disclaimer: This blog entry is slightly dramatic for the affects of a good story but strictly based on true facts that happened today...

Today, more stuff went wrong than any other day I think I have ever been apart of.


The water lines had two main leaks.
The house for well was blown over by the wind.
I took an hour and half bus ride to Managua for a doctor's appointment only to find out it was Friday not today.
We had a fire that burned 75% of our property but didn't get to any buildings.
I ruined one of my best pants fighting the fire.
We ruined a tire on the tractor fighting the fire.


The orphanage owns 85 acres and 75% of burned in what started was a brush fire. Quite the excitement. Basically the whole property was covered in weeds over head high and we frantically tried to stop it from coming on the property for 4 hours as we watched it come with little success. Then when it came crunch time where it was either put out the fire or lose vegetable plants we succeed.

At about the same time two fire trucks came 1 hour and 45 min after we called them and came to the agreement that if they came we would pay for their gas. They fought the fires for about an hour, I paid them 25 bucks 6 liters of soda and a bag of bread thinking the day was over at 5PM.

Then I get a call at about 5:15 while I am enjoying my own soda at the front end of the property that the fire has returned. For the next two hours we fought the fire by smothering it with large leafy branches.

Life in Los Cedros.

It has been a while since I have posted and to be honest life has just been life around here the past few weeks. I have been building some storage rooms inside of a large storage shed to protect the items from rats and dust the past week and just working more and more with the boys, trying to shape them into men.

Julio's kid Michael went to the doctor on Thursday and he has another appointment to go back for another exam on Monday. I am hoping this process will come to an end soon but like all things in nicaragua, they are slow and normally even slower than you expect.

Tara and Jennifer, two girls i went to college with, have been here at the orphanage for almost a month now. It has been the best thing to have people that i am already familiar with and can relate to. Just having 2 people freshly out of college operating and thinking on similar wave levels is awesome. This has been a huge answer to prayer seeing as though before Christmas there was a large community gap here at the orphanage.

I promise to get some pics of Michael up sometime this week. FYI if you don't know Michael is Julio's kid who is nearly deaf but 6 years old so he cannot talk. Some of my friends and family while i was in the states gave me some money to buy him a hearing aid.