Nicaragua Journal Entry #2... Arrival in Managua and Chinandega

Encouragement note for today...
Relax... "Be still & know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

A fairly good night sleep.  The TV went off at 4am from a previous guest setting the alarm.  The hotel alarm clock went off at 6:30am... grrr!!!  Luckily, we fell back asleep until 9:30am!  We are preparing for more travel today.  Leaving the hotel at 10:30am for the airport.  Flight is at 12:45pm...

At the Miami airport, again!

This plane is much nicer :)  Trying to understand all the turmoil we've had but holding onto my encouragement from my prayer partner today.  The bookmark she had for me was perfect!  Keeping these words close to my heart today...

Listen! Be Still!
He is God.  Your refuge, your fort, your continued help.

We arrived in Managua at 1pm.  However, our luggage was not at the airport.  It came earlier and was placed in an American Airlines building.  Jairo, the Food for Hungry director and our partner, met us at the airport with a bus and a van.  Off we went to look for our luggage.  Yes, yet again, another obstacle to our travels.  They wouldn't release the luggage because of all the vitamins that we brought.  Since it was a Sunday, there wasn't anyone in the office to help us.  We waited in the van for about an hour and a half.  Finally the moms and kids loaded into the van and were taken to the Nehemiah Center Facility to play for a bit.  This is the Christian organization that Jairo works with.  It took another hour to get there.  The culture outside our windows was so different.  Children and people were standing/sitting in backs of trucks, entire families on motorcycles with babies and no helmets, vehicles packed to the gills with people, no car seats anywhere, lots of bicycles with multiple people riding on them, and there was trash everywhere!!!  The kids saw the houses that looked nothing like their own.  Thew were intrigued by the 3-wheel cars :)

Coca Cola and Toyota was everywhere!

It was a long drive but we made it!  The Nehemiah Training Hut was beautiful!  Hammocks surrounded the outside of the hut... the kids loved them!!!  There was a corner filled with rocking chairs.  The FH staff had a lunch awaiting for us.  Our first Nicaraguan meal.  I was so hesitant but it was delicious!!!!  The potato was awesome!!  The kids were able to walk around the beautiful grounds.  There was a tiny park to play at and chickens, dogs, and birds were roaming all over.  It was certainly a refreshing few hours!

Nehemiah Center

Braydon enjoying the hammock :)

We left there and drove an additional 3 hours to Chinandega.  I was told that one of my luggage pieces was missing and it had my CPAP machine in it.  On the long drive, I began praying... feeling very defeated with all the hurdles we've endured and now I don't have my sleeping machine.  I then realized that all of our daily encouragements from our prayer partners were also in that luggage.  Is this another attack?  Trying to remember... Be still and know that I am God!  I then, tell the kids what else was missing and Braydon says, "Mom, I got that suitcase at the airport!"  I completely doubted him... I had checked and we only had 4 of our 5 suitcases.  The one that was missing was the one that we plane-side checked.  But sure enough, we had it!  Truly thankful for this answered prayer at the most perfect timing... when I was crying out to Him!

We arrived at the hotel at 8pm Nicaraguan time.  It is gorgeous!  They had a cart of lime tea for us... amazing!  I don't like tea but this was delicioso!!!  We were poolside with refreshing drinks in hand while Jairo was getting us checked in.

We made it!!!

Bonito (Beautiful)!!!

Our room is wonderful.  The kids love the walk-in shower!!  The tropical greenery here is gorgeous.  This looks nothing like the rest of the country that we've seen thus far!  Grateful to be staying here.  We had dinner at 8:30pm... we felt like royalty.  Again, I loved the potato dish... yummo!

This is where we ate all of our meals.

We just took showers and everyone is finally in clean unders from our two day travels without luggage.  Off to bed we go at 10pm.  We head to the community tomorrow... yay!  Our backpacks are packed and ready to go.  We've conquered so much to get here.  The Lord must be rejoicing in our efforts to unify for His glory... nothing is going to dampen our spirits!