Last week I was working with a team from Kent Island MD (who happened to know my cousin!) and I had the opportunity to work with them in El Mirador! El Mirador is a community that our church team has been visiting for the past couple years and have gained a relationship with. It was great to see friends and many of the children and teenagers. This team was working with the Pastor, Pastor Liver, on finishing a gate and the fence made of metal. They also held bible school. There was around 20-40 kids each day, which is actually a small amount compared to what we usually have there! Most of the children were in school.

There is now a group here from Kansas and have been working in the Methodist School that our church group also worked in last February. Lots of painting, and finished the gutters and things on the front of the roof. Yesterday was Bible School; a rotation of story, craft activity, and games for each of the classes from Kindergarten to 6th grade. I was able to go back and see all the rebar and metal that was bent by our team…and remembering the wonderful memories of spending hours doing that in the pouring rain. Hahaha.

The “Semana Para Jesus” (Jesus Week) was last week in San Gerardo. United Methodist Women from all over the northern area went up to rebuild the blind woman and her husband’s home. They almost finished everything, and brought back news that it was a beautiful week and they were incredibly grateful. The women were told to keep all things as much in the same place as possible, since she remembers where everything is in her home. The police haven’t gotten much information about the mattresses that were stolen. They had threatened to deport anyone without papers back to Nicaragua when they went visiting homes. We don’t think there is much hope that anything will be recovered.

I forgot to mention something amazing from when I was up there with the GA team a couple weeks ago. There are shoes on many power lines, hanging as they do in the US. We asked the community what it meant, and they told us it meant that drugs were sold there, or in that area. So that evening, two of the men drove down the road where the new church was being constructed, went onto the top of the bus, and cut down around 10 pairs of shoes that had been hanging on the telephone lines! People came out and watched, and many of them were happy this was happening. They wanted to make the statement that drugs are no longer accepted in that area, and that it would be an area filled with Jesus Christ! One of the men who were on the bus was a lifelong drug addict that had been saved and redeemed, and it was a very unique opportunity for him.

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July (I know you all who are in Catonsville will!) and let us never cease to remember those who are giving their lives and time for our freedom and the good of our country! God bless America!