Day 17

A day off!!

Today was so nice! Brad gave Jessie and I the day off today! It was really great! We were told we could go explore Nicaragua especially Granada, but Jessie and I both wanted to just sleep and relax and also we didn't really want to go explore by ourselves. Two american girls, one who doesn't know spanish and the other who does but sounds like a 'gringo', yea we weren't too comfortable with that. So we got to sleep in and just lay around.

My body naturally woke me up this morning at 6am again but I just laid in bed and thought and was able to fall back asleep but then woke up at 8:30am and just laid in bed until 9:15ish and got a bowl of cereal, yummy Trix. When I came back to the room Jessie had just woke up and we talked for a little bit and then laid in bed until 1:30pm! It was great! I got to listen to music and read some! We haven't had a day to just relax in 2 weeks, so today was definitely nice.

We decided to go get lunch at our usual place right around the corner and got something different this time too, well only because they had run out of what we usually eat since we went so late. We tried this chicken and it was quite delicious! We then headed back to the hostel and Jessie and I watched a movie together on netflix on her laptop. We enjoyed each other's company today. After the movie, I took a shower and Jessie took one shortly after.

Brad had gone out to go meet up with a friend so Jessie and I decided to stay in and cook dinner tonight. I made Jessie quesadillas and I made myself a quesadilla and some stir fry noodles. Dinner was quite delicious, not to toot my own horn or anything but one of the best dinners we've made so far! :) So now Jessie and I are just relaxing in the room and both on our laptops. It's just been a very relaxed day.

Myself and Jessie relaxing after dinner

So all day today since 10am this morning, across the street there has been an event where there has been preaching and worship music all day and is still going on now and it is 10pm. It's crazy but it's been pretty awesome to listen to the music and a lot of the worship songs I knew in english so I was able to sing a long in my head. Also it's been great to listen to the speakers just talking about the goodness of God and giving glory to God-"Gloria a Dios"-they would say. It has just been great while I have been in the hostel almost all day to have in the background preaching and worship music all day nonstop! 

They played this one song, in spanish of course, but its called 'How He Loves' by David Crowder Band. It is one of my favorite songs! It just talks about the love of God and one verse says, "He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy, when all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me. Oh how He loves oh, Oh how He loves us, How He loves us oh." And it goes on you should look it up if you have time its a great song, I am actually listening to it now. 

But anyways, just listening to the song and then sitting in my bed and singing along to the song and worshipping God earlier was so great. This song brings me to tears to think about how He loves us! I am here on this trip to show these kids that I love them but also to show them the love of God. To think about His love and how incredible it is, it just really breaks me down. When I think about how He demonstrates His love by dying on the cross and taking our sins from us on His perfect vessel. How every day we push Him to the side and do wrong and sin and yet He still takes us back! I can't think of a greater love! No one can one me like my God. Jesus in all His holiness loves us so much that He hears our cries and searches for us, we didn't find God but He found us! Have you really just thought about that, the God of the heaven and the earth, King of kings and Lord of lords, Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Shalom, Alpha and Omega, looked for you, He came to where you were to take you out and love you. He didn't expect us to become perfect to go to Him but He became imperfect so He could come to us. 

It's just so incredible to think of His love. My favorite scripture that really demonstrates His love to me is Psalms 40:1-3. It just talks about Jesus coming off of His heavenly throne into the muck and mire of our own filth to set us on Him and establish our goings and to hear our cries and put a new song in us! Just Jesus' love for us is incredible! But today just really got me thinking about How much God loves these kids and how much He wants them to know that. I want to show them God's love because it is so flawless, eternal, and there is no greater love than Christ's love for us. These kids and everyone should know that the love of God is stronger than any addiction, any wrong doing in their life, any chain holding them bound, and everything! It is a love that forgives, a love that breaks the captives free, a love that heals all wounds and mends all broken hearts! He is listening and cares so much! Just let Him in and I promise your life will never be the same!

So as I sat in bed and even now listening to that song, just thinking about how great it is to be at the feet of Jesus. Then thinking about the hike up to the statue of Jesus and how when we reached the top and looked up to see the statue of Jesus right in front of us was so incredible. To be in the presence of the Almighty is amazing! I never want to leave His presence. 

I am so excited about going to church tomorrow! I am excited for the experience of a spanish speaking service but also just to go into the house of the Lord and worship Him is so exciting! Ah I'm just so in awe of God right now and have no more words to say other then Jesus I love you and thank you for your love!

Well until next time, buenas noches and Dios te bendiga(God bless you)