Connections

Is it really only Tuesday? Those of you who've been on mission/camp trips before can identify with the time warp that occurs in these group situations. The routines of working, sleeping, and meal times with this group of strangers in a strange land seems to trick your mind in to thinking you've known each other, and been together in this place forever.

Of course, as we're finding, in the body of Christ you just may HAVE known each other forever. On the drive to Jinotega Jonathan discovered one of the other Texan workers is a friend he's known since high- school. On arriving in the mission center, I discovered one of the "full-timers" was the baby brother that tortured me and the other "big girls" at church in Washington when I was a Kindergartener. And at Sunday night worship, another of the Texan workers discovered they knew one of the Christians here from her time abroad in Italy. It's always remarkable how connected our big ol' family is!

Stragers and connections--I am seeing them everywhere. Nicaragua is both famiiar and strange--and the people we are meeting are strangers, yet we are connected.  Connected to the Christains here by the work we are doing together to serve the Lord. Connected to the banana sellers in the market by a picture brought back as a gift. Connected to a daughter by the excitement of watching her mother see more clearly with these new glasses.

I look forward to the new connections God has prepared for us today. Thank you for your connection to these people and this work. Without every one of you the chain of these connections would be missing a vital link. Thank you so much for your prayerful support of not only us, but the Nicaraguan family you have not yet met.

--Jonathan and Sheila