Storms

I am sure you have heard by now about the terrible storms in Central America. We were able to touch base with our friend, Grace, in Pinalejo and she said that everyone is safe and ok- but the storms were very damaging- especially for the people that live by the river.  Their homes are very fragile and do not protect against high winds.  This is the beginning of the rainy season there so I am afraid they have a long road ahead! 

Grace is in the process of trying to relocate a few of the families and help them get some food stocked up.  After the rain reaches a certain level, she will not be able to get to them due to the bridge being out.  

Please let us know if you feel compelled to donate money towards housing and food for some of the families down by the river and we will let you know how you can help.

Break

Hola!  Sorry there have not been many blogs lately.  I have really been trying to discern and pray about the direction of Sueno Grande and how I can continue to be involved in ministry in Pinalejo and inspire others to join me.  The exciting news is that we are planning on taking a group down in October to help with the little school I fell in love with!  Please let me know if you are interested in coming and I plan on blogging very soon about the school and the awesome ways God revealed Himself to us through the children, teachers and community by the river.  

Thanks for you support, encouragement, prayers---and just reading!  

Coloring

It is amazing how something as easy as coloring or just hanging out with kids can make the biggest difference!  This night, I hung out by a tree with a notebook and some crayons while Brad and some of the other men we were on the trip with played soccer with some of the locals.  

Washing

That day that we saw Nancy in the river, we were able to bathe several children who were very dirty.  With Grace, Brad went to the store and purchased soap, shampoo for lice and some new clothes for some of the kids.  The kids loved getting in the water and having someone care about them!  There was a group of teenage boys sitting on the hill watching, so I thought that maybe they would get their hair washed if I washed Brad's hair.  Then it would be "cool".  So Brad reluctantly got in and let me wash his hair in the water that they bathe, cook and use to clean.  I am very grateful he did it, but the boys just stayed on the hill and laughed!!

Nancy washing clothes in the river

Nancy 2

In the previous video, we see Nancy walking home from school with her half plate of food.  That afternoon, we were walking the kids home and had plans to bathe some of the kids in the river since they had not been clean in months.  Along the river walk, we met many families and learned their stories.  Nancy did not stop with us- she kept walking ahead and we lost track of her.  Fast forward to when we go to the river (which they call a river but we would probably call a creek).  We get the kids in the water and look to our right, and upstream is little Nancy.  There she stands, in the water, washing her school uniform on the rocks.  This is what Nancy does as soon as she gets home from school.  You cannot go to school if you do not have a uniform.  School is that important to little Nancy that cleaning her uniform is the first thing she does when she gets home.  It was a truly unbelievable scene.

Nancy

This will be the first in a series of posts about Nancy, because since the day we met her- she stole our hearts!  Nancy is about as tall as a 4 year old and wears her messy ponytail on the top of her head.  She barely talks and is the smallest in the school by the river.  One day at lunch, I noticed her plate was divided perfectly, with only half gone.  I asked a teacher if she was going to finish and her teacher said that they let Nancy take half of her meal home since she most likely will not have any other food that day.  Nancy always returns the next day with her plate.  As the week went on, we found out that Nancy is so malnourished that she is actually 8 years old.  Nancy is one of our concerns for seeing a doctor as soon as possible and trying to figure out how we can help her regain some health.