Central American Missionary Retreat

Every 2 years the Central Latin American missionaries have a retreat in a special place where everyone can fit! There are almost 200 of us in El Salvador. There is a speaker for the youth, the children, and the adults. On Thanksgiving day the host missionaries prepare the pies and bring the turkeys and cranberry to the resort. The retreat started on Monday evening with a service and concluded on Thanksgiving evening. The only thing missing was the football. But we didn't need it, that's for sure! The speakers were so great. The food delicious. The fellowship awesome. Old friends, new friends, people we went to language school with in 1987. Old timers, newbies, children and teens! It was great. On Thanksgiving after the morning session there was a water baptismal for the children that wanted baptized. It was so wonderful for their fathers to baptize them with all the aunties and uncles standing around the pool.

Ransomed is a music group from Southwestern Bible College. They were fabulous leading us into worship.

This was a special retreat in that the Nicholson's are retiring from the regional director position, not retiring from traveling in Latin America and the Caribbean. Dick and Cynthia were special guests as well as the new missionary couple taking the position, Dave and Carol Ellis. What beautiful people. It was an honor to be at the retreat.

 The El Salvador superintendent and his wife came to greet the missionaries. Our leaders then prayed for them.

 Valerie Rance from AGTS brought the pretty things from the states to decorate the Thanksgiving tables. Carol Ellis brought all kinds of special holiday powdered creamers for the coffee breaks! YUM!

 On Friday Morning the transport began. Taking people to the airport. Taking people to the hotel in San Salvador to fly out on Saturday. Some crossed borders and drove themselves. Such an exciting time! We were all ready to go home and face our work with enthusiasm once again!

Costa Rica birthdays!

Little did we know that turning 15 and 50 is the same kind of milestone! Turning 50 is like an adult quincenera! A big celebration!

MecBelle is my conversation professor. She is a happy happy happy person! I can't say happy enough. Her favorite word in class is "tranquila" just relax. don't get nervous, be in peace. I love this lady!

Last Saturday she turned 50. On Friday in class we had a little fiesta, on Saturday her family had a big fiesta, on Sunday her church had a fiesta, and then on Monday before we left for El Salvador, the CINCEL staff had a fiesta. well not a big fiesta a little breakfast with something very special!

MecBelle requested that we have Santa Cena together as a staff. It was remarkable! It was the most special thing we have done as a staff in my opinion. MecBelle celebrated her physcial birth, she also wanted to celebrate her spiritual birth. It was beautiful.

Here are some photos from our celebration.

let the birthday begin!

Having just arrived in Costa Rica three months ago I was able to attend my first field fellowship ladies tea. The tea is centered around celebrating the birthdays of the month. Funny that mine is this month. Yes it was kind of awkward receiving so many gifts at my first Costa Rican missionary/wives fellowship! Awkward and wonderful all at the same time!

The tea was held in the field moderator's home, Jon and Jennifer Dahlager. Such beautiful hosts. The spread was so pretty. The ladies were so nice. The gifts were so precious. I think I'm gonna like it here!

... another first!

Today in church there was a baby dedication. How precious. The pastor introduced it this way, this is as important an event as a marriage ceremony. A person brought 2 chairs to the front for the couple. It lasted much longer than the normal 5-10 minutes! I guess it's a good thing they could sit!
A beautiful couple with a gorgeous baby!

After the pastor spoke about the importance of the moment and words about this particular couple, he gave the microphone to the couple and the mother gave testimony to God's greatness in their lives and the new baby.

Then the pastor asked them to stand and he gave the charge to them as parents for the care of this new little gift.

Then he took the baby in his arms as he said, "She is enamored with me!" It was so adorable!

While the pastor prayed over the baby the parents kept contact with their hands on her little head. She didn't make a sound!
Then the parents turned toward the pastor and he read the certificate to them before he showed the certificate to the congregation.

Every little detail so important and so marked with care. It was truly precious in every way.