BiCiCLETA (BiCYCLE) ADVENTURE

today was a day of Chele for me, it seems. first, Chico went and got the bike fixed for me. We had to change the brakes and something that had to do with the chain. Chico said the one they give you with the bike is cheaper. So we got a ¨better quality¨ part (if you can use that word in Nicaragua) today. Although, it seems the biggest part of the problem is that there is a 15 yr old boy controlling the bike. not quite the same care as a 26 yr old like Chico controlling the bike. While Chico was doing that, Eugenio and I went to sign Chele up for school where he will be starting Saturday, February 16 (the day I get back to Nicaragua). Had to take the birth certificate, and I almost left it there. The guy was going to keep the original, and half way down the street I remembered and so we went back to get it. I told him we would bring him a copy back. I travelled 8 hours for that document, so the original is mine. Chele will only get a copy too (since he lost his last one), and I will take care of the original! :) ...after we finished that, Chico and I went to check on Chele at his house because I had no seen him since Friday when he was hurt. The only problem was, I wanted to take the bike back to him, so that either meant I ride on the bike with Chico, or I ride Chele´s bike and Chico takes his bike. So I opted for riding Chele´s bike there. I was scared to death. I like my life and wanted to keep it. I walked out the door saying my goodbyes and what to tell my parents in case I did not make it back alive!!! If you have not been to Nicaragua, the driving here is about like New York, only worse. Especially since there are so many bikes on the road too...Obviously, since I am writing this blog, I made it home safely. And I actually enjoyed riding the bike. I think I might purchase myself one in the future (long term future, that is). So Chico and I make it to Chele´s house but the door was locked and no one was home. So we sat down by the highway for a while because that is where he and his brothers hang out all day, asking (begging) for food, money, whatever. But we didn´t see them, so we went to check on a little girl down the street and then we came back, and Chele was down the street from his house. We found out he broke his toe Friday because the bike is such great quality! He was trying to turn the bike and I don´t know if he stumbled or lost balance (because of the brakes being bad or the other part being bad) and he got his foot stuck in the spokes of the bike!! He did go to the hospital Friday night and they gave him a brace for his foot to wear for 15 days and a prescription for pain medicine. Well, he wore the brace for 2 days and took it off yesterday because it was itching. and he tore up the prescription because he didn´t have any money to get the medicine. You would think he would know where to come for help with that, crazy boy...so Chico went and got him some pain medicine while I sat with him in his house. I SO wish I had a camera or video camera to capture what he lives in. It´s got a dirt floor, maybe the size of my bedroom at home. cardboard and curtains to separate the 2 ¨rooms¨. a little tin for the roof, with some holes. the ¨mom¨and all 4 boys sleep in one bedroom, there´s a little place when you walk in the door for 3 plastic chairs, and then you walk about 4 feet, through the curtains to the kitchen/exit out the back of the house. We couldn´t imagine living in a place like he lives, we wouldn´t dare live there. yet that is all he knows...I just know God has something big for Chele´s life, why else would he be on my heart so heavily. Can´t wait to see what God has for him in the future! Much Love!

MOViES iN CENTRAL AMERiCA

forgot to add...yesterday Eugenio and his wife Patricia took me out to the art museum. well, we tried to go to the art museum. but it was closed. then we tried another museum, but it was closed. then we tried the Catholic church where you can go up on top of the building and see the whole city, but you guess it, it was closed...so, we decided to go get something to eat and see a movie. sounds pretty innocent, right!? Not even close. the meal was fine. but the movie we saw was a different story. The name of it was something like The Heartbreak Kid. PG-13, so it's fine right!? OH NO! I saw more of a women than I ever want to see again and I heard more about sex than any single person should ever hear. I cannot tell you how shocked I was to see and hear all of this. Especially when I double checked the rating before walking into the theater. The only reason I stayed in the movie was because Eugenio had paid for my ticket and I knew he wouldn't let me pay him back for it if I left. (honestly, I should have left anyways.)...from now on, I will have to screen the movies I want to see much closer. Either that, or not go to any movie over a PG rating...I have learned that the one thing we still have in America is censorship for things like movies. and I am SO very thankful!!!

LiL OF THiS, LiL OF THAT

Today I received a package from my grandmother in the mail!! It only took about 2 months!!! haha...she sent it around Thanksgiving and I just got it today. Luckily we called about it and knew it was here at the post office, otherwise it might have been sitting there for another month before I got it! :) Now, I'm just waiting on the package from my other grandmother. maybe tomorrow!? so we'll see! :)
Last Thursday, Eugenio & I went on a 4 hour journey to Matagalpa for Chele's birth certificate. the ride was somewhere between an airplane ride (how fast we went) and a roller coaster (being tossed side to side and bouncing up and down b/c of the holes in the road). quite amusing...We made it there, got to the right places for the right documents. and then we found out the birth certificate wouldn't be ready til the next day at 4pm. and since we weren't staying over night, that presented a problem. But, the genius Eugenio is, decided we would find the pastor in the Apostolic Church (that's the church he goes to) and ask if they would go get the document and mail it the next day. Pretty cool stuff, and we got the birth certificate in the mail today! :) tomorrow we are going to go sign him up for school...Chele came by the house for a few minutes on Friday. I didn't get to talk to him, apparently something happened on the way here with his bike. who knows. he was in a bunch of pain (practically crying). he took off his shoe and his big toe was crooked. i don't know if it was out of place or broken. Eugenio tried to pull on it (in case it was out of place) but (obviously) that made Chele in more pain and a little aggravated. so he took off his other shoe and walked off. Eugenio got on his bike to catch up with him, and he said Chele was walking to the hospital. later, on Eugenio's way home, he went by the hospital but Chele wasn't there. So I don't know how Chele got home (with no bike and no shoes) or if he is doing ok, but I pray that God is taking care of him and that he isn't in pain.

UH-OH...ADiOS COMPUTADORA!!!!!!!

That's right...say goodbye to Brooke's freshly bought laptop from July! Sadly...he is dead. well, technically not dead. He's very disabled now...good for nothing! :) ...I figure, either satan is trying to break me (ahem, satan iT'S NOT WORKiNG!) or God doesn't want me to have any technology...either way, I'm still kicking after getting a camera stolen, mp3 player stolen, and a laptop dropped on the ground. Some people would say, just come home!! hehe...but I'm still kickin' for Jesus! :) ...the story...yesterday after our first day back of English class, we were in the office. And all the kids were running around in the office (ahem, where they are not supposed to be) and apparently Eugenio tripped over a my cable that was in the floor, and the computer jumped off the table to commit computadora suicide! yikes :) ...Eugenio was pitiful! He apologized a million times, and I let him take me to a computer fix it store this morning so we could get all the documents, music, and pictures onto my external hard drive. The only reason I let him do that is because Cheryl said it would make him feel better...just a little more stuff gone...good for me, I bought insurance with my laptop, so it should be that when I come home in a few weeks, I will just have to take it back and claim it (or whatever you do), and hopefully get another one!? I pray to Jesus that it's that easy! :) ...until then, I will have a bit of harder time responding to emails, updating the blog, etc. Although Cheryl is kind and is letting me borrow hers...puts a little more damper on me getting all my work done. But hopefully I can load the program onto Cheryl's computer and get everything input at night. Hopefully.

in a bit of other news, Chele came by a few minutes ago. along with about 7 of his friends. and i had bought some tacos the other night in case he came by after we got home. but tonight was the first night he came by since i bought them, so i fed 7 boys with 2 tacos. almost a Jesus story!? or not!?!? hehe :) ...Not so sure about Chele's friends. It seems they could be "punks" when they get together. Chele had a little bit of a different attitude with his friends here. more of a "carefree" spirit, if you will...But I told him about Thursday...I don't think I've told the internet world...Thursday, Eugenio and I (and Chele) are heading off to Matagalpa (about a 4 hour trip, one way) to get Chele's birth certificate, which he lost a while back. He has to have it for school. which he will start the first saturday in February (8am - 3pm every Saturday). Please pray that he goes and he will stick with it! Also pray there are no hiccups in getting his birth certificate once we get there. and that it will be a safe trip. and that Eugenio and I can have good conversation with Chele and provide encouragement and love for him...Lately, I have even found myself asking God why I care so much about Chele. I really don't know. It's not an easy thing, but it's also something that is not light on my heart. It's very heavy. I really think it's from God, and that's he is using Chele in my life to give me a passion I have never had, for youth like Chele. for a ministry in the future. please pray for guidance and that I will follow God in all things!
MUCH LOVE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wonder just how long it's gonna take me to write 2008 instead of 2007!! that's always rough for me...first thing New Year's Eve, Chico, Chele, and I went to find Chele a bike! We finally had a chance when all of us were together so that I could give him his Christmas gift. He was really appreciative and thanked me a bunch of times!! He told me that God was gonna give me a good husband. I asked him why he would say that!? And he said for being such a nice person and for buying the bike for him. I'm not trying to show everyone how nice of a person I am ;) ...but I am trying to show that in Chele's own way, he is recognizing that I care about him. And hopefully that I'm different from everyone else in his life. Not that I can buy him a nice gift. But that I care and want to take care of him!! That one moment excites me, it shows me that God is working in Chele's life and working through me to show Chele the love of Christ!!! yay for Jesus!!! :)
...for New Year's Eve night, we went to our little "home church" here in Nicaragua, Fifth Baptist Church. There were around 30 people there for the New Year's Eve service. that's about 15 more than a normal Sunday!! :) ...It was a special service for the church. Pastor Carlos has been on leave for a year. The church asked him to do so after his wife had a baby by another man and apparently left him. But New Year's Eve they swore him back in as Pastor...I really enjoy the church. Everyone is so nice! And even though I can't understand too much yet, I can still feel the presence of God there. And that's big, that you know God is there even when you can't participate in the service. The church has had struggles this past year with what Pastor Carlos went through (and thus affecting them), and then a ministry that tried to take over the church, but never showed up. They only tagged their name to it. So they've been hurt alot this past year, but they are eager and ready to have a new beginning starting with the new year. And I'm so grateful that God has given me a chance to be here and to be a part of it!