During ¨Team Time¨on Mondays and Wednesdays, we are often asked the question of how we feel emotionally, spiritually and physically. With a brief description of each of these three states, you can have a nice overview of each person. So I am going to run through how this past week was for me emotionally, spiritually and physically.

 

Emotionally- With Thanksgiving on Thurday and Christmas around the corner, I was missing home a bit this week. I longed to be in my own bed and to see the brilliant fall colors in Frederick. On the other hand, I enjoyed the beauty of Nicaragua too. The bright sun every morning and cool breeze that comes this time of year is heavenly. I took some time to read the bible and just soak in the beauty that is all around. Also, on our day off this week the team visited the lagouna. A Lagouna is a huge crater created by a volcano, which is then filled with water. It looked to me like a lake surrounded by mountains. At the lagoon we had time to rest and recharge after the always busy days this week.

 

Spritually- I am renewed this week. The fulltime missionary from AIM in Granada, Charles Kaye, taught our classes each day this week. On monday we talked about the armor of God and all of the defences we are given. Tuesday we talked about our weaknesses right now, the dirt in our lives that keeps us from being completely free. We read from Galations 5 and had to identify four sins in our lives that we were holding on to. Then we found 4 big rocks and with duct tape, wrote one sin on each rock. The rocks then went into our backpacks and we had to keep our backpacks with us at all times for the next 3 days. This included at soccer practice, while sleeping, everywhere, except the shower. This exercise made me conscious of the burden of sin and how much it inhibits ministry and fully living for Christ. Once again this week, looked like the crazy gringos with backpacks on all the time. Even in that, the backpacks  lended themselves to good conversations with people we encountered. So Friday, we prayed and dwelled in the freedom Christ gives us through his death, and we got rid of the rocks. It was liberating and refreshing to physically feel that freedom Christ gives.

 

Physically- From the rocks, my back is a bit sore right now, and I actually developed a sweat gland infection too. I see this as a small price to pay for a good lesson learned. But physically this week I am alive and well. Some people on the team have gotten sick from the water here or unsanitary food, I have been fine though. I am a bit sun burned from the Lagouna but I do not mind.

 

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and fill up with turkey, stuffing and have an extra slice of pumpkin pie for me!