Sunday, January 13, Joshua Faulkner and I, Timothy, went on a vision/fact-finding trip to northeastern Nicaragua. I was acting as a guide for Joshua as I had been to the area before. We flew out of Managua to Puerta Cabezas on the early La Costeña fight. Puerta Cabezas is in the northeastern corner of Nicaragua. It takes about 18 hours on the $25 bus or 2 hours on the $80 flight; needless to say, we flew!

Puerta Cabezas is, hm…, well, now was home of the largest lobster and crab operation in Nicaragua. About 4,000 people working in the lobster boats alone just lost their right to go after such profitable catch. As of 1/15/2013, lobster caught in a manner called “free diving” is now banned in Nicaragua, as in many other countries, like the USA. Just think: 4,000 men no longer can earn and income for their family. This area does not produce a large variety of products, so it will be very hard to put 4,000 men into other work.

Part of Joshua’s call is to capture men that need to hear the Word of God. During the two day trip, we were able to meet with many great contacts from pastors to lay people.

(download a quick movie of the dock here)
port at Puerto Cabezas

The day after from returning from Puerta Cabezas, Roberto Sequeira, Juan Ramos, and I headed to Los Chiles on the other side of San Carlos (Rio San Juan). This is a new area for BMDMI to work in. We started our day around 4am to be able to make it to Los Chiles with enough time to meet with the local committee and get all the governmental permissions as well. It was a great trip in an area that has great need.

We stayed overnight at one of Roberto’s cousin’s farm homes to be able to look into another community for a team this year. The night was full of stories about car wreck after car wreck and about God saving lives because he is the only one who could save someone from an accident like that! There was a lot of story telling, but not a lot about anything important. There were three men that worked on this farm, and with Roberto, pastor Ramos, and me, that meant six were going to sleep in the living room that night. In the early morning hours, a neighbor woman came over to cook breakfast. (I guess we were special). I had just got out of the shower and overheard one of the farm men telling the neighbor woman that “they are Christians”. She laughed. He got onto her and said, “They are real Christians! Don’t do anything they wouldn’t like.” She laughed again.

My heart broke. Many will say that she was not laughing at me and so on. But in a real sense, if she was laughing at MY Lord, then she was laughing at me, if she was laughing at the way Christians live then she was laughing at me; needless to say it hurt.

Of all the things that happen on long trips this stuck in my heart.

I cannot help but think how Christ felt when Peter denied him and the crowd spat at him.

Let us go ahead as Christ heals us from the wounds of the fiery darts that make it to our hearts.

Monday, February 11 marked the first day of school at the little school in Pueblo Nuevo, Jinotega. Months prior, we received a donation of boxes full of pre-filled backpacks full of the required school supplies any child registered for classes would need. In total, we had sufficient supplies for 85 children, plus sunglasses and toothpaste/toothbrushes for all the kids!

We made a trip to Pueblo Nuevo on Sunday after church. This day we visited various homes and checked in on everyone there. In Jinotega we spend the night, then got up bright and early on Monday to make it to the school just as it was beginning. Jessie’s uncle Bobby and of course, Yader joined us.

The teachers and children we so appreciative and very excited about what they received! One of the teachers told us that because of the donations last year, many children who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend school were able to do so. In addition, the supplies lasted all year long for the children! We’re sure the same will be true for this year.

Missionary Life In Nicaragua

We thought we’d share a bit with you about what our down times an busy times look like for us. ..

Some might wonder what we do during those times when we can rest a bit. First off, the pace of life here is simply different from the pace in the US. We don’t really know why, but it’s a challenge to compare the two. Culture demands things to take time, climate demands that we wait till it stops raining or till it cools down, procedures demand that we lack one unforseen step in whatever activity we’re doing, paperwork processing demands one more document, and the arrival of that item demands one more day (manaña, siempre manaña). That said, we have down time often, but irregularly. Downtime entails some of the following: watching a movie, afternoon nap, going on a date, working in the garden, having friends over for dinner and games, calling friends or family on the phone, checking in on Facebook, playing in the kitchen, checking up on the news. Sounds pretty normal life, right!? Yup!

Then out of nowhere, the peaceful life is swept away by a rush of activities, projects, important phonecalls, meetings, and a surprise deadline. That’s when Timothy’s going one direction in one vehicle to run this errand or that, and Jessie’s off in another direction (Yader in tow) making a phonecall concerning that other project. It’s pretty amazing how much time we spend in traffic. We easily can spend two+ hours traveling to and from places. Lot’s of waiting. This eats up time in the day and often is an energy zapper. Then there are Timothy’s day trips to various departments in Nicaragua. He’ll get up early, maybe at 4 or 5am, shower and eat breakfast while Jessie is making a cooler full of snacks and drinks for the day; then he heads out to work on preparing a community for an incoming evangelism team, or scouting out a community in Eastern Nicaragua (these are two recent adventures he went on). A couple of weeks ago, the BMDMI church youth retreat brought about 200 youth together for a great time of spiritual growth. With that comes good friends who stay at our house and help during the day during the retreat.

All in all, it’s amazing to see how a day can go by so quickly; where finding one motorcycle part and being able to actually purchase it and bring it home seems like a high accomplishment for the day. But it’s those simple, seemingly non-important activities that make up the day that God ordained and placed us in, just like He has placed you in the very circumstances (whether tedious, confusing, busy, or stressful) that you’re in.

There are many ministries we are right in the middle of right now —we’re not at the beginning of them, nor are at their end. Team season is just around the corner, and Timothy has been making a few trips visiting with the leadership of different communities for various reasons. School is just about to begin at the little school in Pueblo Nuevo. On Monday morning we’ll be delivering the school supplies that were donated to them! Sometimes when we go to describe different things we’re involved in, they don’t seem to sound too “glorious” to us, but it is so good to be reminded of the high value God places on the relationships with people we have along the way. Every conversation and interaction we have with anyone (whether Nicaraguan or North American, etc), is ground for the heart cultivation God does through us His people in to others’ lives. Again, how is this different from you as you live in the States as a believer? Where you are at right now and the relationships with the people around you are no accidents. Look around and recognize that God is present!

What is life like for us here? Well, we have a house that we rent, couches, a bed, a bathroom and a shower, a kitchen with a stove and fridge, a dog and cat, etc. There are bedtimes and naptimes; mealtimes and snacktimes; physical headaches and tummy issues; frustrating conversations with each other or with other people; there’s time to get ready for the day, and time to get ready for bed at night; there’s time to spend reading God’s Word and praying to Him; there’s time to plan and work on future projects; there’s time to spend relaxing; there’s time to spend with friends playing games; there’s time to minister to others around us. Sound familiar?

Yader has officially been in our home for over two months now! Time has seemed to fly by! Yader certainly is fully of life. He has brought into our home everything typical for a 2 1/2-year-old. We’ve learned a lot during this short amount of time, but have much more learning to do! Jessie is spending most of her days with Yader at the house right now. We primarily speak Spanish with him, but he’s also learning English. He loves to look at books, and we read to him from Spanish and English books throughout the day.

We had our first home visit this past Thursday! A woman from the Ministry of Families—Adoption Department came over. Timothy happened to be in Matagalpa that day, and she came during Yader’s naptime. So, it was just her and Jessie. She seemed to be a believer, which set the tone of the conversation. Jessie was so encouraged by the visit, and the woman also seemed encouraged by the news as to how well Yader is doing. She kept saying how happy she was that God places adoption on people’s hearts and that they’re obedient to His call to do so. As she spoke, you could see her countenance lifting up the name of the Lord. This was a great reminder of God’s sovereignty in leading us to pursue adoption in the first place, and in bringing Yader into our home. God receives all the glory and praise for this miracle! We are but a vessel He has used. He certainly has an amazing plan for Yader!

‘Adoption out of foster care is not a second best choice. It is not reserved for only those who cannot afford private adoption. It is not just for couples who are unable to have biological children. It is a blessing to parent a child whose beginning to life automatically put him or her in the category of the “least of these”.’ –Caroline Bailey, Missouri Baptist Children’s Home

Please Pray:

Please pray for the delivery of school supplies to the little school in Pueblo Nuevo this coming Monday. This marks the 3rd year to donate supplies to 85 children as they begin their school year. This ministry has opened many doors of sharing the Gospel and building relationships with people from this community.

Hopefully you have read our latest letter about Yader arriving in our home on December 5. Life sure is changing! For the first month that Yader was in our home, life was quite unrushed. Nicaragua takes a two-week holiday from many businesses, and although work was still going on with BMDMI, the pace was a bit different. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be established as a family this way. It was wonderful getting to know him! Yader is doing great! His energy level has greatly increased, and his countenance has brightened up! The little boy we thought would be a quiet, keep-to-himself kid, has turned out to be very outgoing and quite the people person! He loves life! His laugh is absolutely precious to hear. Thus far we haven’t heard from MiFamilia regarding him being in our home or his case. God is sovereign and faithful; He is looking over us.

As the year 2013 began, life picked up lots of speed! Timothy has been busy helping oversee construction work on the mission home and going to lots of locations for teams/follow-up work. Although Jessie is spending a lot of time at home with Yader, she is still keeping busy with various projects. We’re still working on getting a routine down. On January 12, the Bible Institute held a graduation ceremony for this year’s new graduates! We had a few visitors stay in our home during that time. Also, January 17-21 Jessie’s parents came to visit. They certainly had a wonderful time getting to know Yader. And tomorrow, our friends Shane and Kerri Estes are coming to stay with us and help work at a big youth retreat for the churches working with BMDMI.

We’d also like to share with you about some very good friends of ours who are missionaries with another ministry in Nicaragua called One by One. Chase and Julie Russell are right about our age and are from Texas. We met them shortly after moving to Nicaragua in May of 2010. In early 2011, Julie was diagnosed with lupus and kidney failure. Since that time she’d been monitoring her kidney function. This past summer her levels reached a point where she qualifies for a kidney transplant. Chase and Julie are currently in the States working toward this, but have not yet found a donor. We feel compelled to share their situation as a prayer request for Julie’s health, as well as a request to prayerfully consider being tested as a donor match. If you or anyone you know (with O+ or O- blood) might be interested in donating a kidney, you can call Susan Young, the Living Donor Coordinator at Integris Baptist Hospital for more info. Her number is 405-949-3816 . We trust that God is watching over them and will bring the right match in His time and way. Please prayerfully consider how the Lord might want you to play a part in this.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! God bless you!

In Christ,
Timothy and Jessie

I thought it would be neat to look back over our initial emails and newsletters we sent out in 2008 when we were first beginning our journey to the foreign mission field. We still have encouraging emails from faithful supporters and prayer warriors! Although our inbox shows that we have 208 pages of numbers of emails, I’m so glad we kept so many emails!

It’s amazing to reflect on how we were able to pay off $42,000 in student and vehicle loans in 18 months in order to arrive on the mission field debt free. It’s awesome realizing that it took only 9 months to raise enough support to allow us to leave for language school in Costa Rica! It’s wonderful seeing the number of faithful prayer warriors who have committed to fight in prayer for us and our ministry then, and who are still faithful to pray today! We’re so grateful for the opportunity to spend one year in language school in Costa Rica. What a great setting to get to know fellow missionaries from all over the U.S. and abroad who had the call from God to GO to various Spanish-speaking countries! Time has flown, and it’s crazy realizing we’ve been living and serving in Nicaragua for over 2 1/2 years! We are blessed to have made good friends, fellow missionaries as well as Nicaraguans. It’s great recognizing the Holy Spirit’s work in the hearts and lives of many people around us. So much more to come.

Dear All,

We have a HUGE announcement!

If you remember from our November newsletter, we shared a picture of Yader, and wrote that we are pursuing adoption with him. We asked for your prayers over his life and future, and for perfect timing of him being placed in the home that God has chosen for him. If at all possible, we were praying and asking for prayers that he enter the home he was supposed to be in by the end of this year, simply because he is so young and small, every day is precious for him to be in a loving hom environment.

It’s been a crazy rollercoaster ride pursuing adoption. One day we’re all good and on a exciting high, then the next with a small piece of negative news, we fall to an extreme low. Keeping hope, continuing to pray, and trusting God’s faithfulness have been challenging. We’ve heard the words, “no,” and “impossible,” numerous times, but knew that until Yader was taken out of the center he was in and placed in a home, nothing was over.

One of the last conversations we had with the Ministry of Families (MiFamilia) here in Nicaragua regarding adoption and Yader was that nothing was going to happen till the new year. Of course, that was discouraging as we’d be praying for something to happen this year. So, we continued to pray, but began making/changing plans to visit the States for the time over Christmas and New Year’s after all. We’ve even purchased tickets to be in the States December 12-January 7.

However….

Timothy’s been on a trip to Siuna, a village 11 hours away. He went with Roberto to scout out a community to send a medical team to. Cell service was iffy. Jessie’s been working on things at the home and in Managua. Long story shorter… The director of MiFamilia had some trouble contacting us, but on this Tuesday, she was finally able to email Jessie with some extremely important and wonderful news: Yader would be placed in our home before this Christmas!!!!!!!!!! Jessie communicated this news with Timothy over the phone. Yesterday morning Jessie called the director back. She confirmed the email, saying that it would be NEXT WEEK! Wow! How exciting! So we were quite excited of the news of getting Yader in a week, and Jessie went on with her day. But just a couple of hours later at 10am yesterday, she was called, asked to go to MiFamila, and that they wanted to go ahead and get Yader to us RIGHT THEN!

You have to know that we’ve done nothing to prepare our house for a child, because we’ve been so uncertain what was going to happen, and didn’t want to keep our hopes up. Lots to do and think about yesterday. Jessie shared the new news with Timothy as he was on on long return trip home. After a couple meetings with MiFamilia, a stop at a shoe and clothing store, and a stop at the grocery store (gettings as many of the essentials as new parents might know to get), just as Timothy got home from his trip, we met at the children’s home. All the workers and kids said goodbye, Yader was quite excited about all the attention, and we brought him home yesterday evening at 5:30pm!!!!!!!!

Yader’s in our home! Yesterday was Gotcha Day! God is so faithful to answer!

At this point we’re considered foster parents. MiFamilia still has to investigate whether or not some family members are qualified to care for him. There’s a chance he could be placed with them; otherwise, he’ll stay with us and we’ll be able to adopt him! The time frame we’ve been told is within 6 months (of course we’re hoping for much sooner than that).

Until Yader’s adopted, we can’t bring him to the States. So, Timothy is trying to figure out what to do traveling-wise.

Yader’s first evening with us was great! He only cried for about 5 minutes at bedtime when he realized he would be sleeping with his other little friends. Otherwise, he fell asleep at 7:30pm, and as of right now (7am) he’s still asleep!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! God has certainly been over this process and has been doing miracles every step of the way.

God is good, all the time!

In Christ,
Timothy and Jessie

Third floor on the mission home for offices.

Pharmacy warehouse.

Old offices will become new sleeping rooms.

Click on the pic below to see the weekly change.

Mission Home