Bienvenidos a Matagalpa!

Hello all! We arrived safely to Matagalpa last night after a long day of flying and a late night bus ride into the mountainous city! We started our day early with a delicious breakfast that consisted of typical Nicaraguan meal: rice & beans, eggs, bread, watermelon, & a special fruit juice. Since we are staying at a hotel that is right downtown we get to walk to church because it is a nice 20 minute walk from here. We all dressed in our Sunday best and headed down to the church. Crossed over the bridge near our hotel, passed by lots of cafes, supermercados, and other stores of the sort (all of which are painted in bright, vibrant colors) - all of which make the walk even more enjoyable.
     The morning we spent at church was such a special time for everyone that was there. Pastor Javier delievered a beautiful sermon on how to serve the Lord and how we are called to pray before we begin any type of work. This was such a wonderful way to start our week of work together, in prayer and through scripture. There was quite the example of hard work that was right there in front of us (or maybe above us...) as during the service there were men from the church working hard to get a new roof above the church. (Once we returned later in the evening the roof was complete!!)
     After a lively service of worship and fellowship we headed back to the hotel for lunch, some time to clean up, and to get ready for the rest of the day! For a few hours during the afternoon we got to spend time at the Re-Nutrition Center. It is a center that has been open for about 14 years that houses children who are extremely malnourished. Once they arrive at the center their health (as far as gaining weight) improves fairly quickly, but because of the extreme stress malnourishment can bring on such a young individual, their emotional health takes much more time to improve. It was such a blessing to be able to spend just a few hours playing with and loving on these children that are so open to our love. Which turns itself around as such a blessing that gives us a little glimpse of how the Father loves us, as his children.
     After leaving the Re-Nutrition Center we made it back to the hotel to relax for about an hour before we left for the night service at the church. When we made it back tonight, there were even more people there than this morning!! A majority of the service is spent in song and is so lively!! One of our team members, Bobby, actually got to lead everyone in song as we sang "Amazing Grace."
     Just to give you all who have never been to Matagalpa an idea of the weather we are having here... The mornings are warm and the sun is up and shining at 6 am. The morning and early afternoons are usually warm and sunny, with a night breeze (thanks to being in the mountains). But usually around the later afternoon you can always expect the clouds to start rolling in and a nice afternoon thunderstorm.
     The past few hours have been spent at the hotel: having dinner (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and rice), visiting with friends, and preparing things for the clinic and VBS tomorrow!!


With love,
Leslie Weaver

Pedro & Rhett at church

Downtown Matagalpa, outside the church

Lunch Time

Sweet little girl at the Re-Nutrition Center