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Nica Update: Good News!
Dear Family and Friends,
My last communication with you in December highlighted how 2014 was a stressful year for our family. It was a year that included lots of wonderful blessings such as Daniel's adoption, while also comprising health issues and other challenges. We asked you to pray for us over the month of December as we rested with family in the U.S. with the hope that we could return to Nicaragua healthier and ready to resume the work God has called us to.
I write to you today to say "thank you" for your prayers for us and to let you know that God has responded to your prayers in beautiful ways. Below I have listed the ways God has worked over the past two months:
1) While in the U.S., I found an iron vitamin supplement and as I have been taking it, I am noticing that my energy level has significantly increased. While I was in the hospital last November, blood tests revealed that I was slightly anemic. I now wonder how long this was the case as I feel better now than I have in years!
2) While we were in the U.S., Daniel became good friends with my sister's dogs which is significant because upon coming back to Nicaragua, he is now no longer afraid of dogs! In fact, he is becoming more and more comfortable with all animals which is a huge step for him. I had never thought about God using the life of a dog for the purpose of life transformation in such a profound way. This has been an important change as there are many dogs who roam our neighborhood and so his time outside is much more relaxing now for him and for anyone who is with him.
3) We also noticed upon returning from Nicaragua that Daniel has seemed much more "settled" with himself. He is able to play by himself and sit on our lap for long periods of time which are things he was unable to do before as he always seemed anxious and needed to be moving constantly. Others who knew him before and are observing him now have also noticed how different he is now as opposed to before we left.
When Daniel joined our family on May 6 of last year, he could say very few words – maybe 20 (he was 3 ½). Since being in the U.S. for that month, we are also observing a "language explosion" as he is repeating many words that we say (both English and Spanish) and then later using them appropriately. This too, makes life for him and for all of us much easier.
4) Rebekah and Will seem "lighter" to me as well. We have been better able to laugh and have fun and relax as a family upon returning to Nicaragua. Life can still be intense at times, but we are learning how to laugh and enjoy each other in the midst of that too. We are also becoming a pretty amazing team, I believe, as we all work together to take care of Daniel and each other.
5) One of the most valuable gifts of being in the U.S. for December is that we were able to take a step back from life in Nicaragua and think about the steps we could take to live life better in the context of our new family arrangement. I believe God gave me the idea while we were in the U.S. to ask our house helper to change her hours from working for us on Friday mornings to working for us Friday afternoon and evening – this means that she is available to care for Daniel during this time. She, Mercedes, is an amazing gift from God and Daniel loves her like a Grandma. This change has facilitated an opportunity for Dan and I to have a picnic dinner with our older kids and then go out on a dessert date with each other. We are all communicating better as a result of this change!
6) Dan too seems to have renewed energy for his work at NCA. He is excited about the conversations he is having with the young men he is mentoring as God is moving in significant ways in the hearts of these young men. He is also energized by noticing how God is moving at NCA and will often remark about how he loves what he is doing. We have watched this school transform in ways we would have never imagined 6 years ago.
7) A few weeks ago, we received a Christmas card from my friend, Cindy, who at one time lived in Nicaragua with her family. Her husband worked for the U.S. Embassy during their three year stint in Nicaragua and our families were both involved in Boy Scouts. In her card, she wrote the words, "I Believe!" These words mean that she believes in Jesus as her Savior. I don't think I could have received a better Christmas gift this Christmas.
Cindy says that her journey with God began the day in (2011) that I told her God was asking me to find her on the NCA campus after a church service. It was one of the most awkward things I have ever said to anyone because I did not know Cindy very well at that time, but there was this burden on my heart that was so heavy; I needed to follow through with what I knew God was asking me to do. I had the privilege of experiencing God's passionate love for a human soul and I've told Cindy that her story has given me even greater resolve to share Christ with others. Your prayers for Cindy and her family are appreciated as she is currently battling cancer.
8) Just last week, we received the news that one of our supporting churches collected an offering for our family which will enable us to purchase a new computer. It is surprising to me, but the thing I enjoy the most about living the life that we do is how dependent we need to be on God to provide for our financial needs. It is a wonderful life of surprises – like this new computer – and we cannot credit ourselves for what it is that we receive. It is all so clearly a gift from God through others. And so today, I am once again filled with gratitude for how God "sees us" and responds so intimately to our needs through others.
I remember a conversation Dan and I had years ago with a group of missionaries who were debating about how honest they should be with their supporters regarding how they were really doing. It was mentioned that there is always a risk that our supporters would lose confidence in us if they were to hear that we were struggling. There is a pressure that we all feel to "perform well" knowing that others are investing both time and money into our ministries. As a result, many missionaries struggle silently in their marriages, in their families, and in their ministry.
I reflect on this conversation at this time as we begin our seventh year of ministry in Nicaragua, having been transparent with you in our communication throughout the years. We are so incredibly thankful for a team of supporters who allow us to be authentic and honest about how ministry and family life is going while continuing to believe that God works through us when we are weak and when we are strong. It is a beautiful picture of grace.
Thank you once again for your prayers for our family throughout the month of December. It has been our pleasure to share with you today about how God responded to your prayers.
Peace to you,
Lisa (Dan, Rebekah, Will, and Daniel) Van Zoest | | | Rebekah and Will participated in the 5th annual NCA triathlon this year. Both kids received second place – Will for Jr. High boys and Rebekah for High School girls. Around 50 students and adults participated. Desiring to develop a value for exercise and meeting a noteworthy goal, several NCA teachers encouraged their students to complete the triathlon by giving extra credit points to those who participated. | | | The other day, Daniel had been playing in the shower for some time as I read a book in the bathroom. All of a sudden, Daniel pulls the shower curtain aside and says, "snake". I looked into the shower and saw what is pictured above - a line of cars that he put together to look like a snake! It is at these times that the words a developmental specialist said to me after evaluating Daniel come to mind, "Lisa, this is an intelligent boy. All he needs to do is to learn how to talk!" | | | I took these pictures as Dan, Rebekah, and Will were laughing while we spent the afternoon at a park last week. It was one of those moments when I looked at our family and thought about how our time together was starting to feel "normal" again. | | | I read recently that the average small child eats about 1 teaspoon of dirt a day. I am certain that small children in Nicaragua eat at least a fourth of a cup of dirt each day. This picture was taken at the same park and parks here generally do not have grass. And that is why, when we go back to the U.S. and we are at a park, I always take my shoes off and run around (and sometimes even roll) in the grass! | | | | | | | | |
