Nica Update: Rebekah's party -answered prayers

 

 

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Dear family and friends,

 

I'm writing to you to thank you for your prayers for Rebekah's birthday party yesterday and to share with you how God answered those prayers.  I share this with you, inviting you to celebrate God's goodness with us.  He was so  obviously directing and leading and answering prayers.    

 

Last Friday (Sept. 17) was Rebekah's birthday and we had planned her party/sleepover to be right on her birthday - perfect.  Well, not perfect, as a virus swept through the school and 3 of the 5 girls who were invited had fevers/illnesses, etc. the day before the party.  So, that morning I needed to give Rebekah the bad news that she would not be having her party after all.  Her face fell when I told her, but she bounced back quickly and was soon excited about going to a restaurant together that night to celebrate as a family.  It was extremely hot this day and I knew that it would only get hotter with more people in the house, so in that sense it was a relief for me to not have the party on this day and the thought crossed my mind that God may have a better day weather-wise planned.  Dan and I were also very tired on that Friday as our routine had been different that week with the Independence Day holiday and we were still adjusting.

 

We go  to Casa Mia (Nice Nicaraguan pizza place with a great atmosphere) on the night of her birthday Rebekah's pick.  While we were eating, a Nicaraguan waiter comes up to Rebekah and says "Feliz Cuplianos" and gives her 200 cordobas (equivalent to 10 dollars).  So, we are all confused and then Will spots a man who's family we had had over for dinner the previous week - a new missionary family in town that we are getting to know.  We wave him over and do find out that he was the one to give the money to the waiter.  It was neat to talk through that with Rebekah as we recognized that had the party not been postponed, she would not have received this special gift.  We saw it as a gift from God.

 

On Thursday of this past week, we begin receiving warnings from the CRC and the Embassy about a tropical storm and how the infrastructure of Managua is weak due to so many storms - so stock up on water and food, etc.  And I am asking God what the next day will look like for the party; wondering if we should still have it, etc.  I pictured the girls stranded at our house for the weekend or longer and anticipated that we would be without power which is what always seems to happen lately when we have a lot of rain.  However, I asked friends earlier in the week to pray about Rebekah's party throughout that week and knew that they were praying - praying particularly that the girls would get and stay healthy.  Our family prays together at school before we all go our separate ways each morning and I prayed Friday morning asking God to hold off the rain for Rebekah's party.  I remember feeling a bit silly asking for that, thinking that perhaps I should not have prayed that (fearing that I asked too much and thinking about how it would impact Rebekah's trust in God when it did start to rain during her party!) and just accepted what seemed inevitable. 

 

All throughout the day on Friday it was very cool, overcast, and a little drizzly.  The girls arrived at our home after school and I served them popcorn, orange slices, and cambric tea (hot tea).  Our theme was "Little House on the Prairie".  Our family read through this series together last year, visited the actual places where Laura grew up (Walnut Grove, MN and De Smet, SD) over the summer, and have been watching one episode of "Little House" every Sunday night this past year.  So, the things that we did at the party were connected to many of the things that we read about in the books/learned on our trip, etc.  Had it not been so cool, the hot cambric tea would just not have been as appetizing!  The girls also wore prairie dresses throughout the party which would have been very hot for them had the weather not been so cool.  The rain held off all throughout the entire party and we were able to do all the activities we had planned to do outside.  It was also cool in the girls' room at night which otherwise would have been very hot with 5 of them sleeping in there.

 

In the middle of the night, it started to rain very hard and the power did go off which wakes us up as the fans stop running - the kids seem to sleep fine without the fan, but I wake up instantly and cannot get back to sleep without the lulling of the fan.  One of the girls woke up and was scared in the dark, so I got up to find her a flashlight to use as a night light.  I got back in bed and wondered if all of the other girls would get up too.  I felt exhausted and started to complain to God about the power being out and was picturing all 5 girls waking up and not being able to get back to sleep.  After 10 minutes of complaining, He spoke to my heart reminding me of all He had already done to make Rebekah's birthday so special.  His gentle reminder transformed my attitude from one of discontent to a deep sense of gratitude once again.  A few minutes after I started just thanking Him, the power came back on and I went back to sleep.  And the girls never woke up.

 

I wrote to a friend last night about how the party went so well - so smoothly in terms of how everything flowed - and much of this I had actually planned differently but felt led to change plans throughout.  I know that God was leading me in this way as well.  We had a low key Sat. morning with the girls and I enjoyed just hanging out with them and getting to know them better.  I stayed in my pjs all day and I think all of the girls went home in theirs as well!  We had rain off and on on Sat. morning, but nothing that prevented the girls from getting home OK.

 

Below are some pix of the party.  I just wanted to share this story with you to give God glory for how He worked so beautifully and showed me that no prayer is too silly to pray . . . nothing is impossible with God.

 

Peace to you,

Lisa Van Zoest  

All dressed up in their prairie dresses.  They took on the names of the characters in Little House, so here we have from L to R - Nelly, Mary, Olga, Carrie, and Laura.

The girls found out that jumping rope in prairie dresses was not always too easy!

Rebekah's friend Abby (AKA Nelly) getting ready to hit Will with a paper machete snow ball full of flour!  (This scene from "The Long Hard Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Abby (Nelly) is successful in hitting Will (AKA Almanzo)!

Rebekah (Laura) throws a snow ball at Lorenzy (Carrie).

Faces full of flour (pretend snow)!

The girls and I making homemade Apple Turnovers - a treat that Alamanzo's family enjoyed (mentioned in the book "Farmer Boy".

The girls rolling out their dough and getting a bit hyper tired as it is now around 8:30 pm.

They did an awesome job.  The Apple Turnovers were delicious!

The girls decorating their prairie bonnets with sequence and beads.  This kept most of them busy for hours on Sat. morning!

Beautiful girls with beautiful smiles!

Showing off their handiwork - hard to see but they have lots of beads and things sewn on.

Decorating and eating animal shape pancakes for breakfast - a Van Zoest sleepover tradition.

 

 

 

 

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Nica Update: Pix and Catching Up!

 

Web site:  www.danvanzoest.com

Nicaragua Christian Academy web site:  www.nca.edu.ni/

 

Our mailing address:  Dan Van Zoest; Nicaragua Christian Academy; Apartado 842; Managua, Nicaragua; Central America

 

 

I just wanted to mention here that we have listed two critical prayer requests at the end of this update.  They are highlighted in red.  So, if you do not have time to read this update, we ask that you would please read the requests and please pray.  Thank you!  You will also find pix of our family at the end of this update.

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

     I am so thankful today for the opportunity to write to you.  It has been awhile, I know.  And I've truly missed this time with you.  As I write, your faces often flash through my mind and it does seem to me that we have spent a few moments together.  I pray that you experience this same connection.  So, grab a latte and let's share!  Know that we love to hear from you too, about you, your families, and about how God is using you as a missionary in the field that He has placed you in!

 

     Upon arriving back in Nicaragua, we hit the ground running . . . unpacking and organizing our things in the home we moved into the week before we left for the summer.  Then, there was the flurry of activity that accompanies the start of school.  Soon after school began, we received the news about our head cook Blanca's daughter's drowning during a powerful rain storm.  Blanca is back at school and has an amazing community of people supporting her in so many tangible ways.  I do see pain in her eyes each time we greet each other.  And yet, she appears to continue to take steps forward, trusting her God.  The Independence Day celebration on Sept. 10 also required a lot of preparation for  teachers and students and families.  It is always a wonderful day of celebration as we watch 3yr old through 18 year old students dance traditional Nicaraguan dances.  The favorite, however, every year is the teacher dance when the teachers perform their own dance.  I find myself so full of joy during this celebration as I see the pride that Nicaraguans have in their country and the passion with which they celebrate.  Today we celebrate Rebekah's 11^th birthday with some of her friends from school for a party/sleepover.  This will be lots of fun.  And after all that fun, we should then settle down to more of a routine until Thanksgiving. 

 

     Almost every day or every few days since we have been back, Dan and I are sharing ways that we see God just blessing us.  It has been so amazing.  We want to share these blessings because so many of them are answers to prayers that we have asked you to pray.  Thank you so much for your faithful prayers.  We are so aware of how "prayed for" we are as we watch all that God is doing.  

 

The Blessings:

 

• Dan moved to a new office which is more secluded, but very noisy as he is located next to high school classrooms.  God went before us as He provided the Bose Noise Cancelling headphones through a Sunday School class from our sending church last year.  Dan wears them every day and says that they work perfectly!

 

• Dan also enjoys his office because he was formerly in a very high traffic area and was frequently interrupted.  The seclusion of his office now gives him the opportunity to accomplish much more during the course of a day.

 

• Dan was also relieved this year of a particular task that took a lot of his time and was not very much in line with his job description.  He has often talked about what a difference this makes and how thankful he is for this change.

 

• Last summer, Dan was talking with me about how he enjoys his work at NCA but that he misses accounting (his former career).    A few weeks into school, Dan was asked to take on an accounting piece which will be a great help to NCA teachers.  He is excited about this.

 

• The house we moved into is an amazing blessing.  We can't even begin to share all of the blessings of being in this home.  The greatest blessing is that we no longer feel like we live with another family.  People noise is no longer an issue for us and we feel as though we have a whole new life.  We now can have true quiet time with the Lord and our souls are revived!

 

• The Bible Study that I lead with the teachers has exploded.  It is amazing what God is doing in so many ways.  We now have 4 leaders and 22 women involved in these Bible Studies.  It was amazing to see how God led women to sign up for the 4 groups we have offered – we limited group size and were amazed how the women chose the groups in such a way that each group received the exact number of women who could attend.

 

• In addition to the numbers, we are seeing God deeply at work in the lives of the women.  I was talking with one of the leaders yesterday who said that a Nicaraguan woman (who is going through a divorce) walked into her group and later shared with her that her first thought was, "What does this girl have to teach me about suffering.  She does not look like she has ever suffered."  Carmen, the leader of this group is a beautiful young woman – appears very put together , is working on her doctorate degree, etc.  However, during the course of their group time, Carmen shared her testimony which includes how both of her parents have been divorced 4 times.  God so beautifully drew this woman to Carmen's group and we now look forward to how He will continue the process of healing in her and her family's life (her children are students at NCA).

 

• Last year, I had been praying for more opportunities to be involved with our kid's classes at school, just desiring more of a relationship with the classes and I also had a burden for their spiritual well-being.  This year, God so amazingly has opened up a opportunity for me to do a half hour of devotions once a week with both Rebekah's and Will's classes.  It has been so fun for me when kids stop me in the hall to talk with me about what we are learning, how they are completing assignments, and I enjoy being in the midst of a group of kids that also includes my own.  I enjoy how our kids have this community of diversity in which they get such a great opportunity to learn about grace – how to relate to people who are so very different from themselves.  I will also speak in the 3rd - 6th grade chapel again this year  and I recently substituted for the 6th grade teacher.  It was a rough couple of days (especially since it was raining so hard the kids could not hear me, the electricity went out, and they could not go out for recess because of the rain!), but it is now so fun to greet each of those kids by name and hear them yell to me, "Hey, Mrs. Van Zoest!"

    

• A few weeks before we left for the summer, I rode in a car for an hour or so to a Women's Retreat with a woman I did not know.  It was amazing how clearly God spoke to me through her.  I told her I was burned out and needed help planning for how to do our next year differently.  She said something that has rung in my ears ever since.  She said, "You need to follow your passion and say "no" to everything else."  This is so true here in Nicaragua as our energy reserve is compromised by heat and daily life stresses.  A friend of mine once said, "If you get one thing done today, you are doing GREAT.  If you get two things done, take the next day off!"  I've taken these things to heart and have dropped responsibilities that were draining me of energy and that were not my passion.  I'm now doing what I believe God has created me to do – 1)To be a supportive wife to Dan and an available and attentive Mom to Rebekah and Will, serving them as God leads me to.  And 2) To be in the midst of people, sharing Christ with those who do not know Him and challenging and encouraging those who do to take the next step in their walk with Him.  As a result, I am at peace, full of joy, and so very thankful!!!!!

 

• Rebekah and Will are doing amazingly well.  Dan and I have commented how they both seem so "settled" this year.  We often see both of them smiling and laughing at school and in the midst of friends.  Will's teacher mentioned to me how several kids in his class identify him as their "best friend".  This, is truly an answer to prayer!  We see them growing in their relationship with each other as they enjoy time together and I am finding lots of notes that they are writing to each other.  So fun.  I am thankful every day for the privilege to be a Mom. 

 

• While at the school yesterday, I watched High Schoolers planting trees around our campus.  Dan later told me that the Gardeners who take care of the campus are teaching the students about gardening.  One of our staff members recently set in motion a fund raising effort to raise enough money to build Blanca a house.  She currently lives in a dirt floor hut with her kids.  These events represent again how God is at work at NCA as he uses a lower class Gardener to teach and to mentor students; He uses an upper class Nicaraguan staff member to lead others to serve a sister in Christ who is in need.  God is doing so much at the school - both inside and outside of the classroom.  One day a few weeks ago, Dan came home and said, "NCA is a pretty amazing place to be."   

 

Prayer Requests:

 

• Please do continue to pray for health and safety for us and for our community.  There are many viruses going around, several people with parasites, and we know of a family who has had Dengue fever.  Every week we hear too of more families who are broken into.  Last week a friend was at a stop light and someone tried to open their car door and get in.  This family emailed the missionary community to warn people to make sure their doors are always locked.  This has not always been the "norm" here – it seems that things are changing.

 

• We have been hit hard this year with a number of "extra expenses".  Some of them medical - as with turning 40, I've had the pleasure of beginning some yearly check-ups that have not previously been a part of my routine.  Some of them, things breaking down and needing to be fixed.  And others involve just unexpected expenses.  Our support continues to be very strong and we are doing fine financially.  We would just ask you to pray that God would continue to be our Provider and that we would be protected from further unexpected expenses.

 

• Hurricane Matthew is scheduled to hit Nicaragua sometime today and tomorrow.  Heavy rains and winds are predicted which causes a threat due to the fact that the ground is saturated from recent heavy rains.  Please pray for the protection of Nicaragua from destruction and loss of life.  It is also possible for us to lose water and electricity and for the roads not to be passable in the next several days.  So, please pray that everyone will be prepared for these challenges as well.  We are praying too about the fact that we will be having Rebekah's party this afternoon and then a sleepover.  Praying that we can get the girls all home on Sat.!

 

• Please pray for God's protection on Nicaragua Christian Academy.  Last week a student was suspended for a behavioral issue.  This student's parents were not happy with the school's decision and have involved a lawyer, the media, and the police.  Liam, NCA's director, as well as our psychologist, were taken to the police station for questioning last Tues.  Liam said that he is seeing how God has already been at work protecting NCA, as the police have been very supportive of the school.  However, we are not sure how the law suit will unfold.  NCA is now working with a lawyer and we pray that God uses this situation for His glory, as NCA is now in the public spotlight.  Liam has urged our school community to love this family and to pray for them.  We ask you too for your prayers for them as well.
  
  

  Thank you once again for your prayers.  We know that we are part of a team, and you are a vital part of the work that God is doing here.  Thank you so much for being a part of this work with us.

 

Peace to you,

Dan, Lisa (the writer), Rebekah, and Will Van Zoest      

 

 

 

This is my Bible Study Group.  L to R is Leah (ESL teacher at Nejapa and Cedar Rapids, IA native), Me, Sylvia (Elementary Principal), Marisol (School Psychologist), Alicia (Works for the Nehemiah Center), Kara (Jr. High Math/Science), and Emily (ESL teacher at NCA English).

Our kitchen.  The pictures on the fridge are of you!  We love getting updated pix at Christmas - hint, hint!

If you were looking into the kitchen from the last pix, and turn to the right - this is what you would see.  Our dining room/office area.  If you were to walk toward the orange wall and turn right, you would go into Will's room.  Rebekah's room is across from his and our room is across from the white wall that you see to the right of the orange one.

If you were looking at the table in the last pix and then turned your head to the right some more, you would see this - our living room area.  Some special items in here are a bookshelf made by a Nicaraguan man who works at our school and Rebekah's keyboard.  Rebekah saved up and bought that keyboard herself and is now taking lessons at school and from a neighbor for free!

This is the front of the house.  The room to the left (where the window is) is a storage area and behind that is the laundry area.  To the right, is our favorite part about this house - the porch!  I've always wanted a house with a porch!  We have had lots of people over and usually eat outside here where it is cooler.  Dan and I also love this spot as a place to meet with God and a quiet place to read.

Rebekah and her friends before they danced for the Independence Day celebration.  L to R - Grace, Andrea, Rebekah, and Lorenzy.

Will and his new friend Isaac.

Will and his friend Walter.

Rebekah dancing at the Independence Day celebration.  The students practice every day for a few weeks to learn their dances.

Dan in his office sporting his headphones.  Next door is a high school classroom.

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