Clinic Day 2--nica 2009 and miscellaneous thoughts......

Things I forgot to mention yesterday when i was in such a hurry trying to blog so we could get back to La Finca........

This trip is soo organized--God is so in this everything has been just great--John and Laura Pike are awesome and have done a tremendous job getting us here and organizing everything.

On the way to ATL we stopped at Striplings--anybody that knows me well knows the only way to ATL is by Striplings---Jeff Willis got souse! and ate all of it!!!!!
and of course we all bought lots of beef jerkey and brought it to Nica with us...

Each member of the team was challenged to share Jesus with someone on the way to Nica---I talked with a girl at Red Lobster about what we were doing and why we were doing it....there are lots of good testimonies from team members about sharing....Dennis Nunn would be proud!

Jimmy, Frank, William, David, Pastor Amos and others work the evangelism site---it was awesome to hear Jimmy share Jesus with the crowd......

Every morniing we start our day in the Prayer Garden--it is a little slice of heaven on earth--the first day Jimmy shared--I love that man and I love to hear him speak--today Clark Connell spoke--what an awesome job he did! I cannot wait for tomorrow :)

Jeff Brinson has kept us secure this week---he does a wonderful job keeping the traffic flow steady in the clinic and not overwhelming--he is a joy to work with....

Gina Wise started the week in Thomasville then went to Iowa with Jack for Odyssey of the Mind competition then came back to ATL and finally arrived in Nica on Sunday night late. We are soo glad she made it safely. I love Gina and her sweet spirit.
I love to watch her and Robin working together with the little children as they get their teeth pulled. They make a great team with Jimmy and Jeff Willis.

Frank Pickle is a wonderful man---he worked really hard with Pastor Amos and Rick Orso to get us water to the girls showers---we appreciate his hard work soo much:)

Sunday night at the church service Sonny Holland preached--he is the founder of SHEO ministries.

Now for Clinic Day 2-------
we were down the road from the trash dump we could smell the smoke but were not in the midst of the dump!
We were housed in a little church and had a constant breeze--God has surely kept us comfortable this week. Again the people were registered, heard the gospel and about 65 decisions were made---praise God!!---then we saw them in clinic, then to pharmacy and they got food bags, shoes and undies.....it is truly awesome to watch the doctors, nurses and others around me showing such compassion--truly the love of God ---to these people. It is so humbling. The people are so gracious and thankful to us for the little bit we do for them---all the glory goes to God. I thank God for letting me be a part of this, It is such a blessing to me.

Finally thank you all at home for praying for us and supporting us to go on this trip. We love you and feel the prayers you have been praying for us.

Please please continue to pray---especially for our strength. As I got on the bus after clinic i heard them saying that tomorrow will be the biggest clinic and the poorest people so far. Please pray that we will show them the love of Jesus tomorrow and give them a little bit of hope............

Matt and Josh---thank you so much for taking care of everything in Thomasville for us
We love you!

hugs

Monday---Clinic Day 1

Monday was a perfect clinic day---one of the best clinics ever!!

The weather was overcast for the most part, we got a little rain but then we had a breezy day......

We had about 400 people---we presented the gospel--51 decisions--woohoo--- gave out Bibles, gave medical care, gave medicine, food bags, undies and cookies, toothbrushes and toothpaste! It was incredible.

This was a very poor area--even poorer than around the farm. These people live in the worst shacks or lean tos. But they were so gracious and grateful to us for the little that we did for them........

Check the pictures on Snapfish.......


Pray for our strength --tomorrow is the dump---it will be so emotionally tiring as well as physically tiring......

we love yall thanks for all the prayers

hug the Cone boys and GO DAWGS!!!

SUNDAY--FEEDING THE CHILDREN

Sunday was an awesome day ---it is my favorite day of the trip. We get to visit the children in their homes before we feed them. It is a chance to thank God for how truly blessed we are. They have nothing ---dirt floors, the streets are muddy from the rains, there is trash everywhere, the children are dirty, running around with no shoes on.........we are truly blessed!


The children and their mamas lined up at the gate--there are very few papas to be found--and wait their turn to enter the gate. The guys and the nicaraguan ladies that help at the farm cooked this HUGE pot of what William Clark called beefaroni--and the kids got their bowl filled with that, a tortilla and slaw. They were so grateful!

Then we did a medical clinic and saw about 60 people. Robin pulled some teeth with his great assistants--Jeff willis and Jimmy Clanton!

After praying and praying for the water to come back on at the farm the girls were blessed by the water returning so we could all wash our hair........nasty hair equals not so happy women :)

Saturday night we were without lights for several hours---which meant NO fans either!
We all prayed for the lights and the water but nothing happened. Then Jeff Willis and others started singing This little light of mine and the LIGHTS came on!!!!!!
What a praise to God!!!!!

Finally Sunday night we traveled to Amos' church for worship. You have not truly seen worship until you have seen Nicaraguans worship. They are so passionate!!
We even "Moved the mountain"----you have to see the video Jeff Willis made---David Cone and Will Cooper can really move mountains!!!

More later.......keep praying for our safety and strength.

SATURDAY IN NICARAGUA

Hey,

We arrived safely in Nicaragua!!!!!

We had a mostly uneventful rather warm plane ride from ATL to Managua--a little
thunderstorm close to landing made it exciting. After going through thermal imaging
to make sure nobody had a fever we stood in the customs line forever. But God is so good! We met a man who is adopting 3 children from Nicaragua--he has two grown children and on a mission trip down here they decided to adopt--now it is getting closes to time that they can take the babies home--30 mos, 24 mos and 18 mos--they surely need your prayers! Their mission has built a home for at risk girls and now they have built housing for over 16 girls to stay.

We arrived at SHEO after about an hour bus ride--Viktor is an awesome driver--
un the pouring rain we unloaded. I slept like a baby and i think most everybody else did to!

Saturday morning we woke up to bird chirping and a beautiful sunny day at the farm. After a day of travel it is nice to have a "down" day----we packed meds for hours and then after a delicious lunch of ham sandwiches we counted more pills for the clinics. Then when we were done we made food bags---a bag of beans, rice, sugar and flour are given to each person seen at the clinics we go to---this is team work at its best. Everybody helps till all the work is done!

While we were doing this--John and Laura, Steve and Jeff Brinson went to town to buy clothes to give to the children at clinic........

David, Sarah Kate and the rest of the team did take time out to play with the kids at the gate----Gringo Loco is David's name here! Jimmy and Jeff Willis and Frank Pickle brought loads of candy for the kids--so they are really glad to see all of us.
I have seen Scarla, and Steve saw Maria Jose and Will saw Eleya---it is great to see all the kids from before. Mary Beth is doing great--on her first trip---she and Leigh are having a great time with the kids!!

We are a little tired but came to town to let you know we are safely here. When the A team gets back to the Farm with the cell phones we will all call home!!!

Please continue to pray for us---especially for strength and health for all the team members---this is physically and emotionally tiring for all of us...but we love it and God is using us to share HIS love on these kids!

Hugs to the Cone boys :)

Atlanta in 6 hours?????

We left FBC after being prayed for by Dan.
Striplings was our first necessary stop of course! Then we made it all the
way to Perry before stopping for lunch........

Then we finished the trip to the airport safely--we felt your prayers!

The team got our luggage checked in, got through security and headed to our gate...
and then we stopped to EAT again!!! Our last supper before Nicaragua!

Continue to pray we leave here in just a few minutes------

FRIDAY IS ALMOST HERE

Wow!!!!!!!

It is here----we leave for Nicaragua in the morning--bus ride from church to

ATL then non-stop flight to Managua--yea!!!!

This week has been so hectic---schedules, baseball camp---we overslept this morning so the boys were the last ones there----groceries--what to pack --where to pack it--


It is always a relief to finally get on the bus and know that whatever you have done--YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL---GOD IS!!!!!!!!!!

It is also great to visit with the people you will share the most awesome week with--reconnecting with the ones from past trips and connecting with new faces---they are in for the best week ever!!!!

We ask for your fervent prayers for us this week--for the ones we are leaving at home, safe travels, health, safety,
ESPECIALLY that God would be working ahead of us in the hearts of the people HE wants us to come into contact with--here in the U.S. and those waiting on us in Nicaragua.
John Pike challenged all of us Sunday to share the gospel with all that we come into contact with along the way---pray for us!!!!!


Ready or not---Friday is almost here :)

NICARAGUA ON FRIDAY

We are all soo excited at the Cone House--

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER !!!

so we are enjoying this weekend before the schedules catch back up with us
next week. Matt and Josh both are working this summer and enjoying no classes--Josh is taking a chemistry class in late summer.....Thomas who is a JUNIOR now and Benjamin who is a freshman have a few days off before baseball camp and summer ball start....and Jacob is going to hang out with his older brothers, the gmas and Talore and Chris at the Club for golf camp and helping Keri with the music @ VBS before he gets ready for his mission trip to Costa Rica.....

David and I just look on in amazement as the boys just grow on and on---They are good friends they enjoy hanging out together--from Matt all the way to Jacob. We couldn't ask for more......

As we catch our breath this weekend we try to get spiritually prepared for the upcoming Nic trip, Costa Rica and then South Dakota.........

Please remember Haley Eason who will have surgery on Tuesday and her family as they travel out to Texas to be with her.