As I write this, it is hot hot hot! This is the time of year in Nicaragua when everything is holding its breath, waiting for it to rain. The ground is dry, the grass is brown, and when we walk on the dirt roads, the dust is thick and billowing. There is little wind, and the air is thick and heavy. It’s not very fun! But yet this is how God made the world…and He will bring the rains back in His timing.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Sometimes we want our God to be a God of comfort, who sets us in a hammock on the porch with a cold drink, gives us a little shower every afternoon to keep the flowers green, and tucks us in at night with a cup of hot chocolate. When adversity comes our way, we do everything we can to avoid it. We say, “well, I guess I shouldn’t do this or that, because it might result in my being uncomfortable, or poor, etc., and God certainly would never ask me to do that!”

But then I look at examples of people in the Bible, who we know were doing what God asked of them: Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Paul—none of them lived easy lives. All walked long dusty roads and, I am sure, longed for a cool breeze and a hammock in the shade. God called them to sacrifice physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially, and He may just call us to do the same.

So what does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with all of our lives as we live them in each day, listening to His voice and His calling. For us, though, I can’t help but think of Nicaragua. Nicaragua has changed a lot in the past few years. We have had a huge increase in home invasion/robbery, as well as an increase in political unrest. It is likely that in the next two years things will continue to escalate. This isn’t just true for Nicaragua, but for many mission fields. We may start to ask ourselves, “Would our God really call us to stay here through this?” And though there may be a time where the answer is “no”, until then, we trust that God is with us in every situation, and that He will help us to be responsible with whatever load He has given us, be it heavy or light.

Please pray for your missionaries around the world, that we may continue to hear God’s calling, to be obedient, and that He would grant us peace and safety in every circumstance.

Month By Month

It’s been way too long since we have written an update! I apologize, and can only blame it on the busyness that I’m sure we all battle. Here’s a quick update of our lives in the past few months:

November—Liam headed to the States for a while to do some teacher recruiting, at Calvin, Cornerstone, Wheaton and Moody, among others. While he was gone, our house was broken into here in Nicaragua, and our computer stolen. Liam was able to buy another one before he left Texas. It was amazing to see how God provided for everything in His timing.

December—We had a bunch of guests! Liam’s parents came for an early Christmas, and then my parents came, along with my sister, Michelle. It was awesome to have them here. We enjoyed the beach, the cooler weather, and spending lots of time together.

January—Was a busy month of getting back to school and getting ready for NCA Nejapa to start in February. Liam kept busy with school, and I kept busy with the kids, as well as with leading a Bible study for some of the teachers at NCA.

February—Was the busiest yet! I worked on planning our annual school Festival, which this year was a fundraiser to support Christian schools in Haiti. We had games, food, a bazaar, fun with water, a petting zoo, and lots more. It was great for the missionaries and Nicaraguans of our school to put forth effort for those in need in Haiti. We raised $6,000, which is more than we’ve ever raised at a festival in the past! February was also the month when our brand new computer stopped working…

March—Liam headed to Costa Rica for HACIA Democracy political debates, with a group of high school students from NCA and NCA Nejapa. I stayed with the kids and prepared for two children’s events: the childcare for our CRC retreat, where we have missionary families from across Central America; and our own church’s Easter Sunday children’s event. At the end of the month, we headed out to the ocean with about 60 other missionaries to enjoy a time of fellowship and relaxing.