Thursday in Nic

Thursday was our last day in Nicaragua. We had a down day and some of us while

needing the rest physically and emotionally felt guilty for not doing one more clinic.

Steve gave the devotional and read from a book entitled Red Letters. Reid has the ones of us going to Jamaica reading this book. It is awesome. Please ask for it. Everyone needs to read it.

We spent the day in Grenada an old town about an hour or so away. We arrived and took a boat ride around the lake. They had a monkey there that was on a chain. Some of us fed him.

Then we headed to town. Grenada is a beautiful city. Lots of old buildings. Steve, Will, William, David and I we starving---so we hung out in a coffee shop and I had lots of time to update the blog.

The other guys went shopping, David and I were content to hang out in the cafe. David read the local paper. It was really interesting that the reporters are able to voice their opinion ina place I didn't think they could.

Then it was time for the Banquet. This is really just a nice dinner when we get our certificates from Sheo. It was yummy! I had chicken, David had steak and it was really good! This was in a restaurant in a hotel that looked to be really nice. The sweet tea was not like tea at the Cone house.

Each of us got up and said a short thank you to Sheo and the team. Robin even gave gifts

to his team members! They worked so hard this week.

Soon as we were done we hopped on the bus ready to pack and get ready for an early night.

When we arrived at Sheo the local kids met us at the gate.

It was very hard to say goodbye to the children who we had grown so attached to. As David says each time we visit Nic we leave a little of ourselves down there.

Scarla, Marie Jose and Elye were so hard to say bye to. Even though they seem happy we know we are leaving them in extreme poverty while we go home to everything that we could want.

If we had our way we would bring each one of them with us to a much better life. Elye is so smart. I cannot imagine how different her life would be in the USA.

As we walked through the gate for the last time we all had tears in our eyes and I of course was crying. Elye who knew what this meant started crying too. It was gut wrenching!

Antoinetta who is Pastor Amos' wife promised to continue to check on them. She is the one who taught them to sing Open the Eyes of my Heart.

God I pray for the children of Nicaragua. I especially lift up the ones near Sheo. Please keep them safe. Give them food for each day. Please don't let any harm come to them. Lord we have come to love them so much in these two trips. Show us what to do to make their life better. We have planted seeds and are lifting them up to you. May they know that there hope is in Jesus.