ONE
ONE WHOLE YEAR.
Hello family and friends!
In just 9 short days, I will celebrate my one year Nica-versary here!
I honestly cannot believe that a year has gone by, and what a year it has been! I have experienced major transitions - country, culture, food, people, new job, new friends, new church, new routine, and have settled (fairly well) into life here in Nicaragua. While this time is a time for celebration, it is also a time of reflection and for me this kind of reflection is always accompanied by nostalgia. I am constantly being reminded of memories made a year ago (thanks social media). I see the faces and places that I said goodbye to and am constantly reminded of the family and friends back home. So, as you read this, please pray with me that these memories would bring joy instead of sadness, and that God would use these memories to propel me forward in the work I am a part of here in Nicaragua.
Church
ICF has truly been a wonderful church for me to be a part of. It has allowed another part of my life here to feel settled. In fact, I truly believe, that one of the key missing pieces for me was my active involvement in a church. At my previous churches, I found a way to volunteer - whether through kids programs, food pantries, or singing and leading worship on Sunday mornings.
Well, I am happy to share that I have found a place to volunteer again! Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to sing and help lead worship in front of our congregation. The last time I found myself with this opportunity was at Poplar Creek, with a dear friend of mine Scott Bunn. While this time around was much different, it reminded me of how grateful I am to have a home church and to have the opportunity to serve.
Work
Work has been very busy for me.
With the post project trip work for Ileana’s School on hold (until we receive some critical information), I have taken some much needed time to focus on our intern program. I have been wadding through many different files, organizing the folder on our server, setting up timelines for processes (a friend and mentor, Kyle Chipman would be proud), coordinating with various people in our office and getting ready to publish our post for local interns this Friday.
Praise the Lord! This will be first time in a couple of years that our office has the opportunity to welcome interns.
I also have some exciting news to share - my next project trip is set for the end of June! I will be returning to my ‘home country’ (country of birth), the Dominican Republic (D.R.). It will be my first time returning to the D.R. in over a decade. We will be working on another master plan for a primary school and future secondary school in San Francisco de Macoris.
And one final thing - our office will welcome its first fellow from EMI’s fellowship program in just a couple of weeks. I am very excited, because they are friends of mine - Jacob and Haven Pekrul. So, will you please pray for them as they spend time with family and friends over the next couple of weeks, say their goodbyes and transition down to Nica life?
Birder: a noun; a bird-watcher
Two weeks ago I had the fun opportunity to go bird-watching with some friends from church.
We drove two hours east of Mangua to a nature reserve named Cerro Alegre located in some cloud forests. In the short time we were there, whether through sounds or actual visual confirmation, we recorded close to 50 species of birds. The scenery was beautiful and it was fun just being in nature. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing a real, live toucan. Below you can see photos of Cerro Alegre and some of the birds that we saw.
Virtual Meet Up - Round 2
It is happening!
I have decided to schedule the virtual meet up for May 19th - my one year Nica-versary. Please be on the lookout for a second email from me that will have the meeting invite details. I really hope that you all will be able to join (even if only for a bit), so that I can see your faces in person.
Praises and Prayer Requests
Praises:
I had the opportunity to lead worship at church through singing. So very thankful for the ICF community and a place to get plugged in.
After several weeks of my close friends being gone or busy, everyone has returned safely back to Managua. I am really looking forward to catching up and spending time with them.
My ankle is finally back to normal.
Hot season is almost behind us and rainy season (winter) is almost here! Last week we experienced temperatures in the upper 90’s, with the heat index into the mid 100’s.
Prayer Requests:
Continued prayer that my drivers license would get to my parents house and that I would find a way to get it down here. My paper temp license expires in June.
Team -
Prayers for our team as everyone is back in the office and as we prepare to welcome interns and fellows
Prayers for Jacob and Haven as they spend time with family and say their goodbye’s in the coming weeks. Prayer as they then transition down to life here in Nicaragua.
Prayers as our team grows and learns to continually juggle many different responsibilites.
Drop me a line and let me know how you are doing.
Thank you for your support,
Micah