Lately God has really been working on refining me.  As we slip into the final weeks of ministry it has been easy to slip into a state of absolute lethargy.  My mind wanders to thoughts of summer and future plans and BAM the Devil has tricked me into believing that my work here is done and we are no longer useful.  However I believe that the best is saved for last and God will be working in me for a lifetime to come.  A missions program of this nature is not about doing a stint of good volunteering deeds and then morphing back back into regular life.  Being here has (wrecked me for the ordinary) and it is my responsibility to take what I have learned here and keep moving forward.  I personally struggle with change and transitional times and have sensed in myself a defense mechanism that is creeping in.  I am slowly withdrawing and hardening up my heart so that when the end comes and I suffer the blow of finality I will have had a clean break.  But perhaps pain is not all bad and God has been revealing to me that this is not the end but the beginning! Please be praying for a spirit of strength and focus in these last weeks so that I may leave with and open heart and no regrets.

   On the ministry frong there is much to tell.  Last week was Holy Week or Semana Santa in Spanish.  All of the schools were shut down and that meant that most of our ministries shut down as well.  You would think that for a town with 15 or so cathedrals there would have been more religous activity or something going on. However aside from a few parades and altars I saw little going on throughout the week.  Most people pack up and go to the beach with an excuse to party and get drunk. It strikes me as odd though because during Christmas there were massive festivities for the Virgin Mary that started almost a month before Christmas! Sometimes I am baffled by the catholic church. 

   During Holy Week I spent a lot of time working on making jewelry and collecting seeds despite having spent most of the week sick and dehydrated.  I got the chance on Wednesday to visit a town called Jinotepe and go to an orphanage there that both Tana and Seth had spent time at during the World Race.  We spent the night at a hotel owned by the missionaries that own and run the orphanage called La Quinta.  All of the kids were middle school age and up which is not what I had expected.  They were all learning English and were eager to practice with us.  On Easter Sunday we had a team breakfeast of chocolote chip pancakes that were a real treat and we even got maple syrup!  Then we were split up into four groups and sent on a scavenger hunt around the city.  Our final destination was the pirate fort where Tana and Becca hid Easter baskets for us which was a lot of fun!! Later that afternoon we had a family day at El Puente where people in the community came and we had singing, a short message, barbeque (think pork, tortilla, and ensalada not hamburgers) and a piñata for the kids.  It was a joyus time that allowed us to just celebrate Christ with others in the community.  This week there was no Corazon Contento on Monday or Friday.  I spent more time working on making magazine beads and made my first bracelet which turned out amazingly! I also sold that bracelet to Caleb Spitlers mom who was down here visiting. (Thank you Mrs. Spitler!)  I find so much joy in getting to experiment with making the jewlery and yesterday Sarah Kaye and I had a date where we just worked together. On Wednesday I went to Leon to find a jewelry story we had heard rumors about that had tons of supplies.  Well like most thing here in Nicaragua you have to prepare your expectations to be ready for a let down. We found a store called Kaman which was most likely what people had talked about and it had some wire, some string, and pre-drilled seeds, and already made jewlery. I was expecting to find wire cutters, hooks, and a store with craft supplies similar to Micheals or craft warehouse.  This Sunday we are going out to a farm owned by John Mark for a lamb and pork cookout and I am really excited. John Mark is the contractor who built our house at El Puente.  Also we have a lot of pets roaming around the grounds of El Puente these days including two Parots, tons of chickens, and a little kitten named Jerry. Please be continue to be praying for me! I hope God blesses you in your week.