for lack of a better post name…

monday was one of the most impactful days of my whole life….  we got in the bus with GdL just like any other morning and road to our ministry site for the day but on the way we had to make a stop… we had to stop at the police station because where we were going was so dangerous, and the government wanted to monitor our activity(so that nica doesn’t get too much bad PR).   “la chureca” is an area of managua that is literally one giant dump.  (GdL had never even been here…) many people live and work there just to survive.  they go on top of the piles and piles of trash digging for any food that’s not too rancid and looking for plastics and metals to use for recycling.  they have an area of the dump where they’ve made make-shift houses and areas to live… it is so unreal. you see pictures of life like this.. and then you see it in real life… and it’s just….. unreal.  i felt like i was in a movie.  it smelt horrible everywhere, everything was dirty, and yet the people were still joyful.  they were eager to see us and show us their lives.  they weren’t ashamed of anything and it was so amazing to see..  they even have a pre-school there for kids to go to, and we were able to put on a show with GdL for them.  though these kids have sparkling eyes they lack hope.. we were able to bring them the Gospel and many of them made decisions for Christ!! then we had to leave and got out clothes to give away and they ravenged… i’ve never seen such desperation.  it makes me sick that i have so much stuff… but i don’t know what to do about it.. pray that God will continue to work on my heart and all my friends here.  i’m pretty sure i’m going to come home with an empty suitcase… i don’t really know what else to say about that because it hurts to think about…

monday night we went to a Christian center in pocochuape and GdL did dramas in a church there and we played with kids.  it was in a center started by a man from waxhaw so it was so cool to see some people we knew!  during the invitation at the end of the dramas i started crying because i realized how much i was going to miss my nica friends… the little boy next to me(who had been bothering me all night) started crying.. not even knowing why i was crying and then he raised his hand to say that he had asked Jesus into his heart!  it was so overwhelming… just to know that when i’m open that it effects others that much made me aware of how my actions always need to be intune with God’s heart and what He wants me to do, so i can reflect Him and His glory… and even if you feel like the smallest person in the room people are watching your example.

yesterday and today we did more ministry and it was pretty fun.. it rained TONS yesterday but we found ways to make things work and God held the rain off when we needed Him to… we’re having a blast and he’s been so good:)

pray that the fellowship will stay sweet as we join with a new group and that God will continue to shower his blessings on us. ahhh gotta go to team time:)

LOVE TO ALL!!!

//Dios te bendiga

how to get rid of your passport…

wowww. okay so where to start… the past 3 days have been so full!

our fiesta in the barrio was amazing!   GdL came and did dramas, we had a piñata, and lotssss of caramellos!  we got to turn the electricity on in the school for the first time and it was soooooo exciting!! all the lights came on, and it was all painted and clean.. and to see the looks on the peoples faces was so rewarding.  at the end of the evening we got to give all the backpacks that the arborbrook kids had raised money for to the children and that was even better!!  so many amazing things happened that i can barely even put into words… many of our spanish teachers came to the fiesta and were able to hear the Gospel and that was soooo great!!!!! we ran out of backpacks so some of us went and emptied our own and gave them to kids and i think that made an impact on them too.. davis gave away some shoes to the older boys and they were thrilled!  it was truly a day of loving out loud thanks to Jesus:)

as we had to say goodbye to the kids and families in the barrio the tears began to roll… many of the children and parents.. and many of us were very sad.. but i found comfort in knowing that even though we couldn’t be there for ever Jesus can…. haha i know that’s really cheesy but i was just thinking about it! one boy named Oliver, who had been a trouble maker the whole week was sobbing as we left.. he had so little hope in his life before we came.. he lives with no mother.. and a father who is an alcoholic..  our last day i found a picture with him in my Bible and i showed it to him and sisi and i and other boys in it, and his face lit up so bright.. so friday i gave him the picture and it was a really cool moment. we all left with heavy hearts but joyful spirits:)

yesterday was literally the LONGEST day of my entire life… in a good way.. haha it never seemed to end… but i loved every minute!  we cleaned out the amazing house in granada and piled on GdL’s bus to go to the beach!!  we went to san juan del sur and it is gorgeousss!  there were some super intense waves and we all body surfed and it was basically a party!!! we left around 6 or 7 and headed back to granada to get our bags… which took like 2 and a half hours… and then headed to the hotel el raizon… buttttt the road was blocked because there was a huge political celebration going on so we had to sit in a park for 2 hours… we had SO MUCH FUN WITH GDL THOUGH. like forrealzzz i love them.  then we got in the bus.. drove for like 20 minutes… and had to wait at another road block for the same policital celebration… we waited for almost another hour.. and didn’t get to el raizon until 1:30am.  at least it was fun and i got to practice my spanish a lot!!!! i have had understandable conversations.. FINALLY:) haha. but now we’re taking a day of rest.. and we’ll go to night church soon:)

monday and tuesday we’re traveling with GdL and doing evangelism so please pray for opportunities!  this morning we all sat down in a circle and started talking about how God has used us to love out loud and it was really exciting to look back and think about it.. and it’s only been a week!!! i never want to leave……. but we’ll save that for later…

hope all is well at home.. sending much love.

//Dios te bendigaaaa.

new perspectives…

hello world!

where to start… a lot has happened since monday night. how bout this.. i’ll tell you about school.. and the house …. and the BARRIO!

spanish school is going very well.  i feel like i’m learning lots and i think everyone else is too.. joel and davis’ teacher thinks they are crazy, but she is sooo sweet! julia, mycah, and i have arlen for a maestra  and she is sooooooo sweet!  she is a single mom and she lives in the barrio(her son comes to campamento de esperanza) i don’t think she’s a christian but mycah, julia, and i have been trying to witness to her during class.  she discusses culture and ethics with us, and our opinions on it.  it’s so interesting to hear her view on life.  people have a totally different perspective here.  pray that arlen will come to our fiesta en the barrio tomorrow.  GdL will be there doing dramas and we’re going to present the Gospel again.  i can’t tell if the kids are responding to our message of hope… but i want them to have it SO bad!

*note to mom and dad: I WANT TO ADOPT 2 BOYS!  one named Marlon, he’s 12 and like the cutest and my little brotherrrrr… and Roger, my new baby.  he’s 3 and SO FREAKING adorable.  can i pleaseeeee bring them home?? you would love them! like forrealzzzz.

anywho… everyday we see the same little boy in the market begging and today we talked to him.  we asked him what he wanted and he wouldn’t say… so we told him we’d buy him something and took him to tip-top(a restaurant like KFC) and talked with him about the gospel and his family while we waited for his food.  we bought him a shirt and he took the food we bought and ran it home to share with his 4 younger siblings who he helps work to provide for. he is 10.  this is what we see everyday… but today we were able to love one…  we can let some light shine:) loving out loud. please continue to pray our lights will shine bright in the darkness… let us be looking to Christ in all that we’re doing.

Isaiah 55:9-13 has been a big encouragement to me in the past couple days.  when you follow in the footsteps of the Saviour He will go with you and before you in all that you do.  that is my prayer for our time here.

prayer requests:

• julia’s feeling a little sick… but i think she’s gonna be alright..
• the fiesta tomorrow, that our teachers would come, and that the Gospel would be received
• we’re giving out the backpacks tomorrow.. that everything will go smoothly

Hay Un Dios… y Él me quiere. (There is a God… and He loves me.)

saturday night joel and i arrived in the Managua airport with mycah, julia, and davis.  the trip went smoothly, no issues in the airport or customs… WOO.  we drove to Granada (about 45min from the airport) and went to the house we will be staying in all week.  It’s gorgeoussss! we’re surviving with little AC but you know… it’s Nica.  but in my bedroom.. there is AC. word. our first night here we got to go to ESKIMOOOO(aka the best icecream EVERRR) we stayed up late catching up and playing games with everyone who is already here.  julia, mycah, and i have to share a bed… yayyyyy. i slept amazing.  i was so exhausted from Seek the City last week.

sunday morning we slept in and had brunch.  then around 1 we got to drive to my favorite place in THE WORLD. sandino, nicaragua.  we met GdL (my favorite people everrrrr. Generation of Light, a Nicaraguan drama team that are super talented and amazing and we LOVE them.) there and they taught us their dramas so we could perform them this week and later in the trip.  it was interesting… a little hard. but sooo fun.  it was as if no time had passed and we had been together the whole year.  i was so happyyyyy. :)  then we went to the orphanage and hung out with the niños and got ready for church.  we went to church at 6pm and i had forgot how amazing it is to worship God in two languages..  it was then that i realized we were really here.  we’re in nicaragua. and Jesus is working.  you can feel Him.

this morning we woke up nice and early and got ready for spanish school.  we went to school and had a good time! julia, mycah, and i tested into the same spanish class, and joel and davis did also.  we all had lots of fun:)) after school we went back to the house and chilled.  then we got to go to the BARRIO! i got to see all the little kids again and it was so exciting.  we had campemento de esperanza and it went well.  we’re teaching the kids about God, His love, our sin, and many other things… please continue to pray for our team, that we would show God’s love in all that we do, and that we would know His heart.  let the nicas see Him in us and let lives change.

pray for joel tomorrow(tuesday) because he is sharing his testimony in the barrio.

Dios te bendigaaaa!

me and my new friend Genesis from the Barrio.

julia and my group of girls for the Barrio... pray for opportunities for us.

chicassss:))

joel and all his new friends:) he loves it here!

gearing up:)

hi guys:)

if you are reading this you probably know i tend to write with a lack of accurate punctuation and capitalization… and you are wondering what this blog is all about.

well… i will tell you.  in 10 days i am embarking on a journey down to one of my favorite places in the world… NICARAGUA!! i’m going on a mission for Jesus, to share His love in a big way, and i couldn’t be more excited about it. the exact dates of the trip are June 26th-July 16th.  on this blog i plan to try and update you guys and what’s going on here.. how i am… how joely is… and how God is moving!  hopefully you can all keep up and pray for us, cause we really need it! please pray that:

• we would do everything in Christ, and rest in His strength not our own.
• for our team to be unified.
• health and safety.
• wisdom

many of you know i went to nicaragua last year completely fell in love with the country and the people.. so much so that i wouldn’t shut up about them all year.. because of this i’ve convinced my little brother joel to come along with me and experience God in a big way, and serve with me.. I’M SOO EXCITED.  maybe joel will give you guys an update on here once in awhile too:)

i’ll try to tweet or facebook when i update on here so you know when to look… feel free to email or facebook me or joel anytime! it may take us a while to get back to you but we’ll try our best:

cori- coreevandie@gmail.com  joel-baseballdude48@gmail.com

keep a look out for more and please please please be praying for us!

//Dios te bendigaaaa

-cori:)