Niños everywhere!

Yesterday we worked at the abwe center to help the nationals put on a camp for some of the local children and we had an absolute blast! We were all stretched linguistically And everyone had a story of a conversation they had with a Spanish speaker despite the barrier. I can't wait for you to hear all their stories in person.

Lots of soccer and lots of swimming in our down time. We love you all and are so appreciative of your prayers.

Josh

PS: I apologize for not being able to post photos on here, technology right? I'm working on finding a way to share those with you.

First full day

Well our first full day is done in Managua. I honestly can't believe just two days ago I was worrying about the process of getting here, and here we are chugging along. The girls had an opportunity to meet some cool young ladies at the feeding center while the guys helped move dirt. Typical.
It was a day full of anticipation as we looked toward the week's ministry and how we will use the skills God has prepared us with. Tomorrow is a full day of helping with camp and loving kids. The adventure is just begun, but it already feels as though we've been here for a while. We're settled and ready to go.

Josh

Looks like we made it

We have arrived! Just as Bilbo ran out of his house without his pocket-handkerchief, so too has or adventure started with a rush of adrenalin.
After spending far more time in Dayton than we wanted, and far less time in Atlanta than we planned (about the amount of time it takes to run the length of a terminal), we boarded the plane that waited solely for us and made our trek into Managua.
So far everything we have seen of Nicaragua has been in the dark, but already as i see people milling around this morning we are being greeted by a while new environment.
I was reminded through our airport "fun" just how much God is in control. We made our plans, we checked them twice, and still couldn't get out of Dayton without putting our flexibility, patience, and trust to the test. We trusted that God would guide us through our Atlanta transit and He did. I am so thankful that He is in charge and not me.
Thank you so much for your prayers.

This week

Chicago team-

Tomorrow, Monday at 7pm we will meet in the youth room for our reunion. I'll have snacks (brownies, ice cream and cookies). There will be a longer version of the video from the trip and a short debrief/discussion. 

Everyone-

Wednesday Cole W will be going to Kings Island. Anyone who wants to join him should be there at 10am. Plan to stay until 1 or 2. Bring cash for lunch and your own ticket in. 

***this is not an official event. No chaperones will be there. 

*******contact Cole W if you plan to go. 

Salvation Army Carnival 

Friday at 12:30 we will leave from church to go up to the Kroc Center. We'll help with the carnival like last year and then hang out for pizza and fun after. 

We'll return to church around 8pm or so. 

Questions? Contact Tim Erlandson 

Friday and Saturday

Sorry...yesterday was a very long day. We started with some down time at the 31st street Beach which was a fun relaxing start to the day. 

When we got back to the Family Plex we went full prep mode for Home Court. From about 1:30 to 9 we were either prepping, running or tearing down this event. 

There were basketball games going on, face painting, balloons, yard games, food and a DJ. Over four hours we fed about 300 people with 400 hotdogs, 300 bags of chips, 300 bags of cookies and over 100 gallons of water. 

Students were engaged all over the park. They performed amazingly and kept their energy levels up all day. 

At one point there was a severe storm bearing down on us, we were preparing each station for a quick getaway in case the need arose. I was watching the sky and radars with Bill Curry and Brian, the FamilyPlex sports director. Over the course of five miles the storm, which covered most of Chicago, turned 75 degrees, hooking around us and headed south. We never got more than a few raindrops. It was amazing how quickly the storm changed course. 

By the time everyone had changed and cooled down it was 10pm. We did our final debrief then hung out for a little bit. 

Today we got to sleep in a bit before breakfast and packing up. The teens worked fast and I was doing a final walk through at 10:15. We got on the road at 11:30.

Parents your teens may give you grief and cause trouble at home, but they represented you very well this week. I heard over and over how different our team is from other groups they have around. The team stayed busy, engaged and respectful all week. The staff at Breakthrough said they're looking for to our next time up. 

Praise God for His goodness and love. Remember the families and friends from East Garfield. Pray that God would continue the work at Breakthrough and in our hearts. 

Day 5

What a day...it started out normal. Breakfast and jump in with the classes. At 10am all kids 1-8th grade went to special classes. They chose from classes like, graffiti art (no vandalism involved), art and nature walks, photography, jewelry making, tennis, competition singing, baking and capoeira classes. The students take the same class every Thursday for 4 or 5 weeks. Experts from all over Chicago donate their time so these students can have the opportunity to try new things. Our team divided up and participated in the classes. 

After lunch we began prep for the Block Party. We transformed a boring parking lot into a play place! The party was cut short by rain, but not before we served over 100 people and played a ton of games. 

We had a little bit of time to chill before our evening debrief. 

Our plans for tomorrow have changed. 

There was a mistake in our schedule that lead to free time for the morning. We will head to a beach nearby to relax before Home Court. 

Pray for sunny skies and no rain. Home Court should be done outside so the community feels it's a community event and not just another Breakthrough program. Pray that we would maintain our high energy levels. And that God would touch each life involved. Pray for the team, long days and limited quiet can be stressful for some and others desire to know they are making a difference. Pray that above all, God would be glorified. 

Day Four

Last night I realized that I have spent more time wearing socks and shoes this week than I have since March. 

Just thought you all would like to have that information. 😁

Today was good. The teens started pretty slow so it took some extra sunshine from me to get things moving, but by go time with the classes they had their happy faces on. 

Some of the teams had pretty normal days with their classes. The 6-8 graders went to a skating rink along with around 150 other kids from urban Chicago. 

Picture 200 kids, 8yrs-8th grade at Skate World. It was crazy and crowded. But fun. 

Three of us (Miranda, Jenny and Sarah) went to the Men's Center to organize games and supplies for tomorrow's Block Party. It will be incredibly helpful to have everything organized! 

Tonight we hung out with a few high school students from the area, playing knock out and some volleyball. 

The rest of the evening was filled with down time which mostly consisted of group games or writing encouraging notes to each other. 

Tomorrow will be a long day since we're working with our classes all day then doing the Block Party. 

Pray for continued protection from sickness and harm. Pray for good weather for the outdoor activities tomorrow and Friday. 

Thanks for praying with us so far, just three more days and this trip is over.