Update on the unrest in Nicaragua

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for your prayers this week. The past few days have seemed quieter in terms of the rioting. There does continue to be concern about the future stability of Nicaragua. The veteran missionaries who have been here for 10 years or so say that this situation is one that they have not dealt with before. Nicaragua has enjoyed peace since 1990. So, we wait and pray for peace and for the future of this country – a country that has made amazing strides in the past 18 years.

This is a picture of what some of the streets of Managua have looked like in the past weeks.

As far as our safety is concerned, we have not felt a significant threat due to the fact that we travel primarily between the school and home right now. There is no major intersection between school and home which is good because the major intersections are usually the meeting place for rioters. I go to the grocery store early in the morning which is usually when all the people involved in the rioting (who were up late) are sleeping. So, we can get around at certain times, can see when people are gathering from a distance and avoid those areas, and know to just stay home at other times. It is also interesting how within the next couple of weeks a new grocery store will open just a little ways down the road from the school which is a huge blessing because we would then not need to go deeper into the city to get groceries.

Thank you for praying for a vehicle for us. God has answered our prayer with a “no” at this time, however, because of what has been happening here, we have not had much opportunity to go anywhere anyway. We are driving the school van for right now. And in a couple of weeks, a missionary family whose mission is to fix vehicles and help missionaries find reliable transportation will be moving into our neighborhood!

My initial plan was to share details and pictures with you of our home, the school, the grocery store, and places around Nicaragua. I still plan to do this, but for right now I’d just like to ask you again to pray. I will also mention that Dan and I do struggle with having much less energy due to the fact that it does take more energy to live here. So, my level of creativity and mental energy is compromised right now. Dan has added more pictures to the blog, so we invite you to check these out.

Praise:

1) We continue to see God’s provision in “the little things”. Will had loaned his baseball glove to someone at school and it disappeared. After a week of praying for God to show us where it was, it was found yesterday! For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been praying that God would lead us to an inexpensive Christmas tree. Everything is very expensive here – an artificial Christmas tree costs between $100 and $150 for a relatively small tree and I’m a little too German/Dutch to pay that much (especially when we got our tree in Iowa for 75% off during after Christmas sales!)! Today, I was asking someone about where I could find a cheaper tree. She said, “You know, we are going to the States over Christmas - would you like to borrow our tree?” I said, “I think God just gave me the answer to my prayer.” We celebrate these things as we are reminded that He is involved in every detail of our lives.

2) We are thankful for God’s work in our marriage and our family to prepare us for this. It has become so obvious throughout our journey of responding to God’s call that God placed the ministry of FamilyLife with Campus Crusade For Christ in our lives to help prepare us for life on the mission field. There are stressors that we deal with here that we never needed to deal with in the US and these can impact our relationships. Dan and I have noticed increased insecurity and irritability in both of us and so often we are both exhausted by supper time. One day last week, Dan walked in the house and began to criticize several things that I was doing. This is not his normal approach to me, but instead of giving him grace I reacted. Things were pretty tense at the dinner table that night, when Dan broke the silence. He said to the kids, “I want to share with you guys how Daddy has not built Mommy up today.” He then went on to identify each thing he said and asked for my forgiveness which I tearfully extended. The principles we have learned and practiced through the FamilyLife conferences and resources have transformed Dan and I as marriage partners, parents, and as individuals. We are so thankful for the way God orders things so perfectly.

3) For the missionary community here. I was talking with another missionary the other day and she said that missionaries from other countries will visit Nicaragua and comment on how there is incredible unity here among missionaries of so many different denominations and backgrounds. It is in these kinds of environments where I believe that God is most glorified because in order for so many people of different denominations to have unity, there must be grace.

Petition:

1) For peace in Nicaragua and for this country’s future. I’m realizing that the US is not broadcasting much about what is happening here even though it really is history in the making. I’m limited in what I can say, as we have been advised to be very conservative about discussing politics via email. If you google “Nicaragua news”, you will find some articles that give more details about what is happening.

2) For our adjustment to life here. Rebekah seems to be doing very well - adjusting well socially and academically. She is a natural optimist and problem-solver, so she enjoys challenges. I think it also helped her to have one year of school in the States before coming here. Will is struggling a little with adjusting to a school schedule and expectations while also trying to learn a new language. We are encouraged, though, by his attitude. He asked me the other day, “Mom, what is your life motto, but it can’t be from the Bible.” I shared the first “motto” that popped into my head. He said, “Mine is try, try, try again.” Will is living his motto every day. We pray for a good friend for him – he is the only American boy in his class and generally kids will talk to each other on the playground in Spanish and Korean, so he is trying to find his place. Will does have an incredible teacher who is highly qualified and very attentive to him. Dan is adjusting well to day to day life and service at the school, but is very tired. Dan has shared that he is fulfilled by his work, believing that it will make a difference for the school. Right now he is communicating with the school’s alumni to get feedback about their experience at NCA. He is also collecting information about what graduates are doing. It has been neat to discover that some are leading or serving with ministries in Nicaragua. He has not had an office since we arrived, but construction began last week to transform a conference room into his office and a nurse’s room. We joke about how Dan went from a good sized office in MI, to a cubicle in IA, to a picnic table in Nicaragua! As far as my adjustment - well, I am not naturally a very good “adjuster” to any life change which is how I believe God builds my faith! However, I see great potential for friendships with women and for ministry here in Nicaragua.

3) My Dad is again having blood pressure issues which are now said to be related to his deceased kidney excreting a hormone that increases his blood pressure. His blood pressure has been as high as 200 over 100 and he has experienced chest pain as well (for those of you who joined us recently, my Dad had a triple bypass last June). So, this is certainly a concern. He will soon be taking a new medication with the hope that this will help this condition. My sister has also gone in for more testing and the word “cancer” is again on the table. I told Dan that this Christmas I want “health for our family”!

Thank you again for your prayers and for your encouraging notes. A couple people have written about how they are talking with their kids about what is happening here and praying as a family about the situation. I was thinking about how this is so a part of our vision for these updates and our blog – to invite others to experience this and to learn along with us more about this country and about who God is and how we see Him at work here. So, thank you for making the time to walk with us!

Peace to you,Lisa (for Dan, Rebekah, and Will)

Pictures - 11/16/2008

The kids having fun building a fort just down the street from our house.

Moving the fridge, stove and a couple of chairs to our house. We were able to buy them from a missionary family that is heading back to the states.

Rebekah holds up a leafcutter ant for me to take a picture. They come out every evening in front of our house.

One of many gekko's that has made its way into our house. Rebekah and Will caught this one and then let it go.

A picture of Will just outside of our house.

Thank you for your prayers!

Pray for Nicaragua in the mist of unrest

Dear Family and Friends,

I’m just writing a quick request tonight to ask you to please pray this weekend through next Tuesday for peace here in Nicaragua. Political tension is very high and it is predicted that next Tuesday there may be increased rioting and violence here in Managua. The rioting has been going on for the past week, but mostly after dark so we have been able to get to the school and grocery store, etc. during the day without a problem. The school and our home are located on the outskirts of town which is good. We do hear gun shots and smell things burning, but we are very protected inside walls that have razor wire on top and also have an armed guard at the gate. Also, North Americans are not a target – two political parties are fighting each other.

I’m really not able to give a lot of detail or opinion about what it going on politically, as “email is as confidential as a postcard” someone noted. But, I do think there is news coverage on TV and opportunities to learn more on the internet. So, if you would like more information you can check these places.

Tonight, I told Dan that I was getting weary of living with this political tension and uncertainty about how this will all turn out. He said, “You know, most of the world lives like this.” I had never really thought about that before. His statement challenged me to be thankful for the opportunity to experience and to understand something that so many people have lived with their entire lives. We’ve only lived in Nicaragua for two weeks, but I think that each one of us has realized how incredibly privileged we are and how much we have taken for granted.

Thank you for your prayers and for your notes. It is a comfort to us to know that we are covered in prayer. There is no safer place to be.

Peace to you,
The Van Zoest’s

The God Who Sees Me

Dear Family and Friends,

There is a Nicaraguan saying that goes, “Little by little, but always moving forward.” This phrase describes our lives right now. We continue to slowly adjust one day at a time, but we do keep moving forward. We will share in this update 1) Something related to what each one of us is doing; 2) A reflection on ways we have seen God at work; and 3) We will end with some critical prayer requests for Nicaragua as there is political unrest and rioting going on right now in Managua and Leon. The school and our home are located on the outskirts of town so we are not in the middle of the rioting. The concern is that the unrest will continue for awhile. Please see prayer requests below.

This update is a long one. The feedback that I have gotten from people is that they are enjoying our updates and it has been clear to us that the length has not been a deterrent for many people. However, we know that everyone is different, so please read as much or as little as you feel led to.

Dan: I (Dan) went with the High School juniors and seniors on their first of three field trips for this year. We all rode a bus into Managua, broke into three groups and each group went to a different preschool in the area. We spent the morning helping the kids with their ABCs, coloring and playing games. The verse for the trip was Romans 15:2 from The Message - Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us asking ourselves, "How can I help?". One of the lessons of the trip was that helpful actions don't have to be something big or noticeable, sometimes the smallest acts of compassion are the most beautiful. After we returned to Nicaragua Christian Academy we broke into small groups to have the students discuss their experience. I enjoyed listening to the students talk about how they could see how small acts of compassion can make a difference and how God can work through them. Visit our blog to see some pictures and a short video from the field trip.

Lisa: This week I tagged along with missionaries to grocery stores, to a women’s Bible Study, and to a well run Nicaraguan ministry for unwed mothers (girls ages 9 – 18 who are victims of rape). I also was a substitute “English as a Second Language teacher” for a day at Nicaragua Christian Academy. In addition, I had the opportunity to teach a 9th grade Bible class which was an incredible experience. We read through a portion of C.S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters” (I think I read this in college) and discussed as we read. I veered a little from the lesson plan and asked this class of Nicaraguan students, “Does Satan and his demons know what we are thinking like God does?” Their answers surprised and delighted me. They said, “No, he does not know what we are thinking. But, humans are predictable and he studies our behavior and knows our weaknesses.” I do not think I understood this truth until I was well into my 20’s and it is such an important one. I also saw a very genuine faith in the students – I didn’t get “Sunday School answers”, but instead got well thought out responses that they were able to apply to daily living. The more time Dan and I spend at the school, the more impressed we are with how the building of Christ-like character in the students is the highest value.

Rebekah: Rebekah and her new neighborhood friends Carly and Abby have been digging up weeds, giving them their own names, and then planting them in a “garden” next to her friend’s house. They have also been making palm leaf dresses and hats. Rebekah has also been developing a little group of friends at school. Andrea is a name I hear often as well as Gastapo, Emma, and Luisa. The Nicaraguan kids speak to each other in Spanish and then interpret for Rebekah and Will. The kids seem to be adjusting well. Dan posted several pictures of the kids on our blog. (address above)

Will: Will has been having fun in what he calls “the junk yard” down the street. There is an area at the end of our street with old building materials and piles of pruned branches. The kids and their friends have been making forts out of these things. Will is noticing the poverty of this country and asking questions like, “Mom, why do we have so much and they hardly have anything?” He also said the other day, “I want to make a machine that will make it so no one lives in poverty.” I’m so thankful for his questions and burden for the people that he sees around him. I’m so thankful for the opportunity our kids have to see how privileged they are. I pray that we all will better understand God’s heart for the poor.

Reflection: The following stories are personal to me (Lisa), as I’ve noticed ways that God reveals Himself as “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13).

I had wished at the last minute that I had packed my blender because Rebekah loves to cook and one thing she likes to make is smoothies. However, I really tried to pack “the necessities” and felt that this was more of a want than need. When we arrived in Managua, the director told us on our way to our house that the place we bought our beds from gave us a gift. No, not pillows or sheets, but you guessed it – a blender!

We went grocery shopping our first day here to buy household supplies like cleaning materials, a mop, broom, and some food. I stopped in front of the popcorn and picked some out, but then put it back thinking again that this was not a need, but a want. The next day we went to someone’s house for dinner and she said that she had bought another item that came with two free bags of popcorn and wondered if we wanted the popcorn!
He does care, not only about our needs but also our wants.

Sunday morning I woke up very tearful. There are certainly things about life in Nicaragua that are difficult to adjust to and with the holidays coming, I do catch myself feeling home sick at times. Dan tried to talk with me, but I said that I thought I just needed some time with Jesus. I moved a little table and chair outside and got out my Bible and Beth Moore study. I really just never know how this happens, but when I go to Him in the midst of pain and tears, He really does “turn mourning into gladness and sorrow into comfort and joy”. (Jer. 31:13) I spent the rest of the day in awe of Him and His power and His intimate care and love for us.

I passionately believe that God is speaking to us all of the time. I find that the problem for me is that I am at times in far too much of a hurry to listen. Or I just don’t believe that He cares about things like a blender or popcorn. John Ortberg asks a provocative question: “Why is it that when we speak to God we are said to be praying, but when God speaks to us we are said to be schizophrenic? Why should God’s end of the line be equipped with a receiver but no mouthpiece?” I pray that this week you too would experience God as “the God who sees you”.

Praise:

1) Dan and I were talking tonight about how God has placed us among many missionary couples who are much younger than us chronologically, but beyond us in maturity spiritually. The director of NCA is someone Dan highly respects as a mentor and looks forward to learning from and being challenged by him.

2) Rebekah and Will’s adjustment to life here. I see so many ways that God has prepared them to live here. One way was through our conservative use of TV. Our goal in redirecting away from TV was to encourage them to either use their time building relationships with each other or with family/friends or to use their imagination and creativity. I think this has made their adjustment to life without TV here easier for them as the pattern of life at home is similar to how it always has been.

Petition:

1) Please pray for the country of Nicaragua. The election results for Mayor of Managua are being disputed and there are riots going on right now. It is predicted that these riots will continue and there is concern about how this will develop. Several of our school families are concerned about getting to school because they will need to drive through areas that are unsafe. We are praying for peace and protection for the people of Nicaragua.

2) For our continued adjustment to life here. I think one of the more difficult adjustments for us right now is that we do not have a vehicle. It is very difficult to find a good vehicle that does not cost a fortune. Because of the road conditions and safety issues, many people buy used SUVs and trucks that cost close to $20,000.00 (used vehicles actually keep or go up in value here). We have looked at a few used vehicles under $10,000 but they are either very high mileage or have had a lot of problems. Other missionaries have told us that it may take weeks, maybe months before we find a decent vehicle. Our prayer is that God would show us how to move forward in this process. We are looking for the next step.

Thank you again for walking with us. You are a part of the way that God comforts us and brings us joy. We are thankful for you.

Our address is: Nicaragua Christian Academy; Apartado 842; Managua, Nicaragua, Central America (Some people have asked about sending care packages. We do not need to pay a fee for receiving packages if they are sent to the school. The one thing that I have thought would be very helpful to our kids and the children of the school is children’s books. Books are very precious here, especially English books. In the States, Rebekah was reading the Animal Ark books, A to Z mysteries, the Box Car Children, Pony Pals, and The Magic Tree House. Will enjoys The Magic School Bus, Amelia Bedelia, Henry and Mudge, or non-fiction books that are at at 2nd grade reading level – he loves science. I’m sure they would love anything they receive. We will donate any books we receive to the school when the kids are finished reading them. Thank you!)

Peace to you,
Dan, Lisa, Rebekah, and Will Van Zoest

Fun and Friends in Nicaragua

Rebekah and Will on the airplane. They are both great travelers, enjoying their time on the plane. Will asked me a few times to call "the waiter" (stewardess) to ask for food. We were surprised to get a meal on our flight from Miami to Managua which we all were thankful for given that we had skipped lunch make it on time for our last flight!


Rebekah and Will with Nicaragua Christain Academy director, Liam Starkenburg on their first afternoon at NCA. Liam picked us up in the school van that afternoon and the kids got to meet their classes before starting school the following Monday. They are not wearing their uniforms because Fridays are "color days".


Rebekah and Will reading to Liam and Jessica Starkenburg's son, Caleb. Caleb has a baby brother, Judah who is around 6 months old. The kids are enjoying the opportunity to play with babies!

Rebekah and Will enjoyed making bracelets and hats out of palm leaves on their first day in Nicaragua.

Will and his new 11 year old friend (I'm having trouble remembering how to say his name). They played catch with a baseball and football, tag, and hide and go seek for a couple hours with Rebekah joining in too. A little group of friends is now beginning to develop in the neighborhood.

How Can I Help?

I (Dan) went with the High School juniors and seniors on their first of three field trips for this year. We all rode a bus into Managua, broke into three groups and each group went to a different preschool in the area. We spent the morning helping the kids with their ABCs, coloring and playing games. The verse for the trip was Romans 15:2 from The Message - Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us asking ourselves, "How can I help?". One of the lessons of the trip was that helpful actions don't have to be something big or noticeable, sometimes the smallest acts of compassion are the most beautiful. Below are some pictures from our trip.

This is the bus we rode to the schools.

Here is a picture from inside the school. It was not completely closed in and had a good size rubble pile (to the right in the picture).

An NCA student working with one of the preschool students.

Working on coloring a Christmas tree. The kids cut them out and glued them to popcicle sticks.

I saw several kids run to the back corner and was wondering what they were doing...I discovered that the school drinking fountain was a pipe coming out of the ground and the kids were taking turns getting a drink.

A video of the kids playing "Green light/Red light" or "Luz Roja/Luz Verde" in Spanish.

Stories

Dear Family and Friends,

We have now been residents of Nicaragua for 4 days and we already have many stories to tell – stories of God’s goodness and provision, our experience of the culture, and the great people that He has placed in our path. I will choose some highlights and then share some praises and petitions.

The Highlights

1) We feel very secure in our home and are enjoying the families in our neighborhood. Rebekah and Will played with an 11 year old Nicaraguan boy Thursday morning for 2 hours while a Korean woman and I spoke broken Spanish with each other. We also spent some time with another neighbor, a CRWM missionary family (Steve and Kim Holtrop), that we met back in May and look forward to more time with them.

2) We have received incredible support from the school. The director and his wife (Liam & Jessica) have coordinated so many details to help us to feel at home. We had beds when we arrived along with soap, towels, toilet paper, etc. We had a meal brought in Thursday night, went to Liam and Jessica’s Friday night for supper, and were invited to NCA’s principle’s house for last night. We do not yet have a stove, so all of these meals are so appreciated and a great opportunity to build relationships.

3) Rebekah and Will went to school Friday afternoon for the first time. Their classes really kind of mirror their personalities. Rebekah’s class is more reserved and seems to warm up slowly. She could not stop talking about them at bedtime – she said the girls fought over who got to play with her. There is one other little blond girl in her class that took her under her wing and showed her the ropes. Will’s class was jumping up and down and yelling when they saw him. We heard one of the boys say, “Wow, he’s big!” Will is the only American boy in his class of almost all boys. There is one little blond girl in the class that actually lives 2 houses down from us. Both of their classes have been talking about them since the beginning of the year and anticipating their arrival which was evident today.

Praises:

1) Thank you for your prayers for our health! We are actually all healthy now! Quite amazing. I’m having trouble with allergies as it is very dusty (our feet are constantly black as we walk across what appears on the surface to be a clean floor). But, Allegra seems to help.

2) We are finding out how amazing our journey here was. We checked in 7 tubs and 1 piece of luggage. Several missionaries have told us that Nicaragua often has a box embargo which means that we would not have been able to use the tubs. We” just happened” to fly at a time when there was no embargo. We also took 4 carry-ons and 4 backpacks. We flew American the first leg and TACA the second leg of our journey. As we compare notes, we also realize how amazing it is that all of our luggage made it with us. We chose the American/TACA route because we did not need to pay for our luggage and it was the cheapest flight. Other missionaries say they fly this combination too, but often the luggage does not arrive until the next day or days later. Our connection was also very tight. We were actually uncertain that we would make our flight on TACA because we needed to walk for around 15 minutes to get to this airline, then needed to check in, and go through security a second time - but we made it through just in time. When we arrived in Managua, one of our bins was missing the cover and sitting in the middle of the baggage claim. It was a bin that had several valuable things in it, however nothing was stolen or broken. When we got to the house, we all started digging into the bins and started to put things away. The kids were in the living room area looking through the bins when Dan asked us to come into the kitchen area to pray. We held hands in a circle and thanked Him for His protection of us and our things. A few seconds after he was finished praying, we heard an explosion in the living room. A light bulb had blown up! The kids had been in that area prior to our prayer. We so clearly recognize how God is protecting, providing for, and empowering us. We know too, that God is responding to the prayers of our team. We are so thankful for you!

3) For how God is taking care of the details. We will be purchasing furniture and appliance items from another missionary family for 40% - 50% of what they purchased them for 2 years ago. The timing of our arrival and their departure is so perfect and other missionaries have confirmed that we are getting some high quality items for a very low price. We are not sure when the items will arrive, but know they will come sometime within the next week or so. Thank you for your prayers for details!

Petition:

1) For wisdom to know what kind of vehicle to buy. We looked at one yesterday that another missionary is trying to sell and just were not at peace with it because it had close to 200,000 miles on it and seems questionable in terms of reliability. Driving in Managua is a little – no, a lot – scary. There are no speed limits; traffic rules are subjective; motorcycles drive in between vehicles; there are horse drawn carts, bicycles, people selling things in the middle of the street, children running up to cars to beg for money, and huge potholes that need attention as well. Keeping this in mind - we are trying to find a vehicle that is reasonably priced, is safe (has some metal around it), and gets good gas mileage. This, we are learning, is not an easy find. We will trust God to provide for us in this way too. Thank you for your prayers for this.

2) For our continued adjustment to the culture and for Dan as he begins work at the school on tomorrow. Dan and I will attend a Spanish class at NCA on Tuesdays which we look forward to and I’m looking into other possibilities as well. We both desire very much to be able to better communicate with Nicaraguans. Dan and Liam talked and dreamed a bit Friday night about what his position will look like. Dan is excited about the possibilities, as some responsibilities are routine and others leave room for creativity which is the kind of balance he likes. We are also talking through some possibilities for me to mentor high school students and help teachers at the school.

3) For Rebekah and Will to see God at work in and through their lives. I asked both of them about what the worst thing and the best thing about living in Nicaragua is. Rebekah said that the best thing is that we have a house. And the worst thing is that it is hot. Will said that the worst thing is that it is hot and that he misses our home in Iowa. He said the best thing is that we have everything that we need and that we have a house here. He said one night as I tucked him in, “I’m glad we have one home instead of many homes.” Makes me realize how tiring our travel schedule was for our kids. Rebekah is very interested in learning Spanish and was practicing with her computer program today. Will said that he tried to talk with the Nicaraguan boy he played with today about Jesus.

We will be praying this week for the US elections. We did get our absentee ballot in before we left. Will was pretty interested this year in the candidates as he tuned in to the ads on TV. One day he said, “I think I will vote for Mc Cain because he says he will lower taxes. I think that will be good for my allowance.” I told him that he should start his own special interest group or something. We do have an election for the Mayor of Managua next Sunday which is a big deal politically. Your prayers for a peaceful election and for God guiding hand in the process is appreciated as well.

Thank you again for being a part of this journey with us. We recognize the significant part you play in our work here and we are so thankful for you. We want you to experience this with us through prayer and through learning more about what God is doing in our lives, in the ministry we are a part of, and in Nicaragua. Thank you!

Peace to you,
Lisa (for Dan, Rebekah, and Will)