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.

Costa Rica--2009 Wednesday

Last night's visit with the Louderbacks and Tresa was so sweet. David and I enjoyed it so much. Their house is adorable and Tina is so organized. Tim beat David at wii golf---fun! And Tina made the best banana bread! Saying bye is hard for me anyway so you know this was especially hard--even though I will be back in June.


Your prayers were felt today. I have never taken my ring off in about 24 years so when they told me to leave it I wasn't really scared but i was apprehensive.
But God was there with us and today was awesome.

David and I love kids--obviously and to get to just love on kids who are so neglected is great for us. Mark and Meg and their daughter Melinda have a discipleship ministry in La Carpia which is the poorest, "baddest" section of San Jose. They do a wonderful job of forming relationships, sharing the gospel and then following through with discipleship groups for this families. The kids really love them.

We spent a couple of hours then walking through La Carpia. It is unbelievably poor.
Tin houses, raw sewage running in the street down to the river that runs through it. There is no sanitation so the trash is everywhere. This is such a hard life but it is all these people know. One precious family that had accepted Christ and the 11 year old was baptized a month ago--they live in a little bitty place downstairs so narrow that you have to turn sideways to fit down the stairs. There are two tiny rooms for about 10 people. It is unreal unless you see it for yourselves.
Mark said they might get 1 meal a day and it would just be rice. Can you imagine???
The crime rate is high---as you would think---if you leave something out it is gone.
Last week a 6 yr old was kidnapped as she and her mother walked to school.
Gangs fight with guns as other children walk home from school. To get food people sell themselves or the children or they sell drugs.

Their hope is in Jesus and their reward is in Heaven. It is gutwrenching to see this but God sent us here. We saw smiling faces even in the midst of all this mess.

Please pray for the people of La Carpia and the work that the Kasdas family is doing here. Pray for Brook and Matt and Ron and Meredith who work with this family. They are all with Christian Light Foundation. After seeing what is going on here it makes me proud to be a part of CLF.

Tomorrow we spend the day finding the person to help us with the vitamin program here. The children are going to be fed and the vitamins will be in addition to the food.

God commanded us to go----what is your answer to HIM????

Costa Rica--Tuesday afternoon

I am sitting here looking out the window at the beautiful mountains of Costa Rica.
But between here and there are an unbelievable number of homes made of tin.

We survived the Barrio this afternoon and i was very safe---david carried the backpack and camera. I did take some pictures but I was very careful with it.

The barrio is a community of about 300 tin houses that consist of a kitchen and den and bedroom. The whole house is about the size of my bedroom. It is on a hill side and from what i am told we picked the last good week to come here. Next week starts the rainy season for Costa Rica and the hillside will be just a mudslide then till November. But Brooke and Matt and their family will go everyday and do discipleship with the families. Ron Droke and his son Morgan and the pastor and his wife went with us. We loved getting to walk and visit with the people and children there.
One man who had had surgery and was living in a "nicer" house built by a christian company asked us to pray for him and we all did.

The people and kids here are quick to smile but they live such a hard life---their hope is in God and their reward will be in heaven.

Please hug on my boys---I know i say this everytime but we do miss them so much.
It is by far the hardest thing for me to do when I say goodbye.

Pray for us tomorrow as we go out to another section of Costa Rica with Mark and Meg.
It is awesome to see them connecting and making relationships with these people so they are discipled after they accept Jesus.

I am soo excited to see Tim and Tina and the kids--I will be sure to post pictures when we are back from supper.

Costa Rica--Tuesday

This morning we spent a precious time in prayer with several ladies, their children and the local pastor here at his home.
It was so sweet to listen to their passionate pleas to our Heavenly Father.

Then we went with another CLF family Brook and Matt and their two precious girls and son to a discipleship class that Brook led with a little girl and her mama. This lady has opened up her home to use as a meeting place.

Lunch time was great---Meg and Mark provided us with lunch and a little down time at the guest house.

Please pray for us this afternoon. We go to the Barrio which is the not so nice part of Costa Rica. I cannot even take my camera or backpack cause i might not come back with it. I am trusting God to show us mighty things this afternoon.

Then supper with the Louderbacks and Tresa :)

Thomas and Jacob have games this afternoon---if you need something to do ---please go cheer for my boys!

Trelle