I am going to keep this blog short because hopefully you'll hear what has been going on straight from the prince's mouth. That is if I make it though, we leave the house at 4:30 am and I am not supposed to get in until 11:57 pm. GAAAA! It is supposed to snow in Albany, my final stop...so please pray that things go smoothly and I arrive okay. I am okay with getting beat up or thrown around, I just need to land on the ground safely. SO, this past week was FA La Na Min La Nal. We traveled to Ometepe to an orphanage and the kids that we lived with were so great. They were so eager for our love-or God's love through us. Most nights I found myself laying in a giant hammack with wicked cool kids on my lap, swaying in the wind, sunset over the lake, and two massive volcanoes, Conception and Materas, in the background. It was so rejuvenating and the food was great too. I feel like God was using it to entertain his kids and also rest me up for my trip home. We went on a sweet hike up one of the volcanoes, which took us a total of FIVE HOURS to climb! Gaaaaaa. Nasty. People were stopping so much it made it tough. However, after reaching the top, Caleb Spitler and I had enough; we sprinted down the mountain and made it down in less than 2 hours (read his blog for the full story).

            Well, that is it for now. Thank you so much for all of your encouraging comments, I already feel welcomed back. I'll be seeing Vermont soon, and cannot wait to jump into some snow!

Peace-

~Jose Carter

            So, our group put on play #2 for all the kids that help with the trash clean up program we support in the neighborhood. It was really great and I thank God for speaking to Annie Vee and Laura Oh about how we should share the Good News with the neighborhood. The message this time was the parable of Shepherd and the one lost sheep. I was the Shepherd, Annie was the lost sheep, Caleb A., Laura, and Amy were the other three sheep and Jennifer Springston was our narrator and our translator was Natalia. The message was that we are Christ's sheep and when we stray off in our walks of Christianity, even though we are one in millions, God is completely distraught and longs to bring us back to safe ground. We also played many games and one, blob tag, had to be stopped because about twenty kids were bleeding including our translator, Mario, and teammate Baker. After games we spent to rest of our time running around with kids on our shoulders and sharing God's love.

            This week I realized just how powerful God is. It feels as if I have put God in a little box my whole life and through a sermon by James McDonald my box was cast away. Isaiah 40 speaks of God in a way that we should all view God. It speaks of a loving, tender God in verse 11, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those who have young." Also, another aspect of God is spoken of later in verse 12, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?" What a powerful and awesome God that describes and yet, another aspect is part of God as described in verse 14, "Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" Saying that God is knowledge. This God of Tenderheartedness, Awesomeness, and Wisdom gives a promise to his sheep at the end of the chapter that is very encouraging and definitely expands my box. Chapter 40: 29-31 promises, "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." Wow, I will try never to forget this passage. All we have to do is hope in the Lord and not constrict him to a toaster box and we will be blessed with energy and wisdom/power that comes from the one who invented it!

            Hey, I hope you are encouraged by that this week. So you know, we just found out recently that the rest of our time here until Christmas is going to be spent on the beautiful island of Ometepe! We are staying at an orphanage and there are many ministry opportunities waiting for us, and also a massive lake at our doorstep, I can't wait to go! I will come back with some tribal stories I am sure, probably involving a fight against monkeys or something. Men's Bible studies have still been happening Wednesdays and Fridays in the mornings and it continues to grow and draw lost people. Yesterday, Charles Kaye, our head missionary down here, raised his hand and said, now who here has been to jail-everyone raised their tattooed arms and us pale, Bible-loving gringos kinda slinked down in our chairs. It is awesome that God can bring such lost people to hear his truths and dramatically change lives. Oh jeeze, and we stopped by to see Andy and he was in a motorcycle accident and he is pretty cut up so he wasn't able to go to church, please pray for him. Also, when I return to Nicaragua in January, I am on my own to start ministries or choose them, wherever I feel God leads me. Right now I am feeling led to run a jail ministry but I am praying that I keep my ears open to his voice. Please pray that God will rock my world with a calling to where he wants me to serve him and that my heart will be open as well. That would be huge, and thanks for continuing to remember me in prayer, it makes a huge difference, more than we all will know I am sure.   I can't wait to see what is next!

         Now, I feel like I have a weight on my shoulders and the need to articulate many thoughts too-day so I am going to just dive right in.  I am praying right now that God just give me the words to write today, words that will fall on open hearts.  SO, we have been studying a pretty cool subject this week--SOlITudE.  Emo, yes, I know and you know and Frankie knows, but I have decided on this trip that is a very important thing if you want to separate RELIGION from RELATIONSHIP. 

I am not going to use "Christianity" or "Catholicism" or "Episcopalian" or anything but merely am going to substitute the word "relationship" in-alluding to our relationship with our Creator, God, Abbah, Jesus, Friend, Father, all equal descriptions. Ignore preconceived notions or experiences with worldly friends, relatives, Gf's, or spouses. This is a perfect relationship-or rather, was a perfect relationship between two real people and God! I used to picture the people in the Bible as merely people made up to show us exactly how to live our lives and how to follow a perfect set of rules perfectly. I am slowly understanding and seeing Adam and Eve as like Mel Gibson with a beard and princess Leah gathering all security and all confidence and joy from their perfect relationship with someone who has infinite love for his creation. You know what happened even without reading the Bible:  They fell into temptation and sinned, eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I picture a large spotlight of God's glory from the clouds being snapped off. Click, Mel and Leah realize their imperfections, feel insecure because this constant beam of love and glory suddenly isn't felt; not that God stopped loving them or us, which is a beautiful thing, just their relationship was/is greatly effected. We feel this. Even now what are you doing to try and make yourself feel secure? Is it having your boyfriend say they love you or is it excelling at something?

I can honestly write to you right now and say before this trip I viewed my religion was following the lives of certain robotic people in the Bible and keeping God happy-all the while judging my life on feelings of guilt and what I could do that would make me feel good and keep me from feeling like I was destined for a land of fire and brimstone. But, little did I know, this didn't matter to my father and friend above; he would get his relationship. Like a trumpet in my ear I heard such a loving calling that I seriously made the decision to come to Nicaragua in about two seconds (and don't think that it was my doing, I give all the praise to God).

This week we have been talking about formulas that aren't, FEW, binary code or electrical engineering jargon but formulas we find that work in our life and that cause God to respond in a good way. I tried to explain a formula to my sis, Lindsey, and now realize that the Bible doesn't preach formulas so I shouldn't. WHAT!?!? The Bible is full of rules doe. Yep, true dat, but these are merely there to help us grow in our relationship with God. Dude, can you have a relationship with someone you don't know?---Neeoope, that is why the Bible was breathed by God into man; The Bible was written so that we can know Him and His ways. Once you do so, like Paul or John in the Bible, you realize that "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full," says Jesus in John 10:10. And that we are led by something called "The Holy Spirit" that convicts us when we hurt our Friend. Once you find out who God really is and feel the love and joy he cannot wait to instill in us, we wont want to sin. BUT, this is a formula, shoot. Well, all I know is that this morning I woke up to my leader, James O'Sheeeea, playing a very loud yet tribal beat onto a cup in which he had trapped a fly with. "Daaaa Gonnet I'm tired and feel kinda crappy," I thought as I droggled to the bathroom.

"Wait a minute, I just had an amazing experience with someone divine who loves me-He Loves Me!" I thought. 

BAM! It feels so good to be loved, why would I want to screw it up? If I were to write a book of the Bible, I too would write of all the things I have done and continue to do that mess this relationship up because I have had just a droplet of God's love (imagine the feelings in heaven!).

So, hey, I tell you this: Ignore all the televangelists who crave money and those that HATE ANYBODY-women, gay people, alcoholics-because the bible says in John 13:34-35: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." WORK ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND FORGET FORMULAS! However the process for you to become close to God know-the Bible is there to show you who this Father is, so read up and chase after wherever you heart is led (Just make sure it's not led to Crack Cocaaaiiine).

Jeeze, so solitude, eh? This week we had a dayish of absolutely no talking and I realize how much I use talking to feel secure. Also, yesterday we spent a day of solitude on a mountain with a cross on top. It was truly an amazing experience and I have never felt so loved or closer to God than when I was completely alone in a comfortable tree with a giant volcano ahead of me. I tried and tried to shut off my mind to all the bustle in this world and read a bit of Psalms and Songs of Solomon which is loaded with poetry and imagery. Then I just prayed that God would "speak to me in this hour" and again, without planning it, God chose for me to write a poem. I really just depended on Him to speak to me, and what I wrote relates a lot to solitude and struggles to "turn off" the outside world. Read this poem slowly and take in what God was saying to me and to us.

Sometimes the constant buzz of this world is sifted into tranquility,

Waves of air drift by and caress your faces and pull back into nothingness.

A stop and go light interrupting thoughts and actions is left in its wake.

"No, not this time," the prince of the control box, says in a sly voice.

Like a squirt gun injecting its venom into its environment,

casting an array of cold intentions onto its victim,

so are his deceptions crashing past your eardrums;

Yet, coming from within,

starting with that red beater thumping life

that gleams in warms streams

through your open veins and forming pure vibrations over the tongue,

Something some call light and others truth

reveals a droplet, much like a collection of dew on mornings bed--

Just a droplet of Glory and shhhhhh...

The breeze licks away the remaining noise,

much like a mother cleans her pup.

and its soothing rays remind you of the embrace that eagerly awaits

as time goes by with each passing thought.

Your lips shy upwards because your ears are in tune with the whispers

that praise your attentiveness.

All the while the thumping beats an increasing

current of sweet, sweet nectar,

as precious as that to a humming bird.

And you feel the peace felt long ago,

even before the deceiving crowned itself on beauty.

And you wrap your arms around your supporter,

as you climb down and fly towards the world,

like a dragonfly,

Creating your own melody with your wings.

And you return to the tree only to realize

its arms spread wider and you cannot wait,

to climb into its glorious presence!

                                                                                                                                  Man, there is so much knowledge about the Bible and truth that I feel like really needs to be tapped into. The other night I was praying to God that he would cast out darkness in our house, it was a little weird, but I felt like there was something weird and an eerie presence in the house. I woke up J.D Russell and Spitler up and we prayed against this darkness. It was at this moment, recognizing that there is actually a dark spiritual power in this world that I realized that I needed to recognize the truth and weapons we are equipped with from God.

"J.D, isn't there a verse about the armor of God poking and jostling around in the Bible somewhere?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah Ephesians 6 I'm pretty sure." J.D coolly answers from his vat of Biblical knowledge.

            So, I found the verse and it actually begins in Ephesians 6:10. This highlights a tremendous knowledge that we must have to, "Take your stand against the Devil's schemes." The Bible says that our struggle isn't against someone in the flesh, but "the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." If we don't recognize what we are equipped with, like I have decided to do for quite some time, the next time the great deceiver decides to tempt us or to use his lies to make us feel bad about ourselves we wont hold the shield of faith up and it will be SO much harder not to sin. Many times I have fallen and continue to fall into the lies, yet now it is simply because I have been caught off guard. We are to recognize God equipped you and I with the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

            To be honest, I was going to write about something completely different today and had my blog half completed until I was hit with a verse right before I decided to go to bed last night. That verse reminded me of what I had learned and spoke to me in yet another way. In Solomon 22: 29-37, it says, "You are my lamp, O Lord; the lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand of the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."

            Therefore, our stones, our sin, or anything we are holding onto has no power over us. The more we recognize what we are entitled to and what God gave to us as soon as we accepted him into our hearts we can fight with renewed strength against the temptations of sin because we know that he is our "Shield of victory" and he will make us great. One more verse, John 10: 10, promises us a full and rich life if we follow God and put these weapons into practice! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." 
            Whew, really good stuff I think. Here is an update of how our week looked:  All week we carried around giant rocks in our bags that signified the sin that we are still holding on to-secular music, lust, self image, security or whatever. It was a terrible thing, I could not run-which was cool because I really should run for anything without God-and we could not sleep without our bags on. The only thing we could do was shower without them. By the end of the week we were allowed to take our rocks and cast them out if we felt free! I threw mine at a giant wall. Also, we put on the Biblical play of Lasareth for all the kids that help us with trash clean up. What a great idea of Laura Olvers and company. Also, we went to an amazing lagoon yesterday! There was an 800 ft. deep lake in the middle of a volcano and we spent the day swimming in its warm waters and relaxing in hammocks. Awesome day! I thank God for showing us his beautiful creation!

            Hey, I have a special shout out to Jen. Jen-you are a huge answer to prayer! I have been trusting in God and praying that he will provide for my financial needs and what are the odds that your last name, Liscio, would be in my title of my blog! Crazy, I think I am going to start writing last names in my titles every time, ha. Anway, thank you for the encouraging comment. Church family and friends, I am getting really eager to get back, I cannot wait to experience snow and skiing and hot chocolate! Bam, I hope you enjoyed reading my blog today, please pray that I will continue to listen for Gods voice and I will continue to thank God for all of my supporters!

-Jose Cartier

            God is so good, guys. He truly has so much power and he gives us everything we need when we follow his voice. I have not been let down yet, which doesn't mean there hasn't been many struggles because there has been a ton of spiritual warfare, doubt, and physical pains in following him. I have been praying about what to write to my friends this week and it rang clear at 2:45 am last night. I haven't told the story of Andy yet! It is my favorite experience here so far and it has been on my heart to share it. I know I have been asking all of you to pray for him because he is a very new Christian that overcame the powers of darkness in his home--so I would like to share the latest news first. 

            However, that would leave all of you out who haven't heard out to dry. I feel like this is appropriate to do, so I am going to give a direct entry from my journal to you guys.   OOO right? Tapping into my pm's, you are so lucky right now. Here is the story of Andy, a now follower of Christ!

            God is Amazing.   We got back (from the hike to the cross with Vida Joven one of the blogs ago) and found the immediate need to shower and leave for Restoration Church. The service was sweet-awesome salsa music and compelling service-the pastor cried and so did others, 18 people were Baptized. We were given a white towel to remember God's love in our life (it felt like we were at a Chicago Bulls game because everyone was frantically waving these during Worship).

            So (on the way home), Caleb and I decide to buy this amazing papas con queso thing and we sit alone on this wall. God brings this man to us and completely uses us for Him. The guy introduces himself and gives the same spiel and asks for money. We say,

"We're sorry we have no money, we have something greater, we can offer you prayer." "Give me 20 Cordova, please, friend, I need it..."

"We have no money."

"Just 19 Cordova...15 Cordova C'mon friend..."

"We are being honest, we spent 15 on papas con queso and Caleb gave the rest away."

"Please, Amigo...10"

"Dude, we have no money." (A little frustrated at this point)

-"8 Cordova..." Down to one!

"We can offer you prayer."

            He explains that he has been looking for God for a long time but the Diablo is strong and has too much sin in his life so it's impossible. I responded by saying,

"The devil has no power over your life, I have sin in my life too, I drink just like you but Jesus died for us and took away our sins. Jesus Christ loves me, you, Caleb Spitler, that guy."

"I know," he responds, "but my life is a sad story..." And he cries and tells us his life story about how there is so much temptation in his house and his wife left him and he went to the bottle.

"The Devil is in my house!" He declares with anguish and tears.

            We explain to him the good news of the Bible but he still isn't convinced the story applies to him, since he is so deep into sin, "THE DEVIL HAS POWER," he kept exclaiming over and over.

He states, "Come to my house tomorrow,"

            God gives me great words to this, "What if you are dead tomorrow or me, where will you go?" 

"Enferno..." With fear and recognition he says this.

"You need to ask Jesus to come into your heart."

            He is compelled to sit with us on the park benches across the road and so we agree and I pray the prayer with him! He didn't quite understand because he thought the devil had too much powering his life and God wouldn't save him. "YOU ARE IMPORTANT!" Then I ask my friend J.D Russell, who happened to walk by in the distance, to come over and I explain the situation to him because he knows more Spanish than I do. We pray so hard that God will give him the words to speak and he does! Caleb Spitler searches for the verses to give the man encouragement and truth and two times he opens the Bible, looking for a verse that God put on his heart and he opens to unmarked passages right off the back, with no prior knowledge of their reference. We have a chain going on, I have my hand on Andy's shoulder praying my heart out, Andy is sitting with tears down his face as truth after truth is poured out to him from Caleb to our translator and orarator J.D Russell. At one point, money falls out of Caleb's Bible and he gives it to the guy! Weak and crying, Andy invites us to his home and while reading him multiple Bible verses (with God's help) and giving him information on the Restaration Church and other churches around him he shows us pictures of his kids. Finally, praying the prayer for real, J.D and he are crying with joy, Andy is welcome into the book of life, I just want to leap! It feels so good to be part of Gods plan, that was all him, he groomed and brought us all there at the same time for a specific purpose. In leaving, Andy states,

"My legs feel lighter!"

Praise God! 

            Wow, huh? I am so excited to tell you the current news, bear with me for more of my words. Last Sunday, marking two weeks after this event, we sought after Gods child and went to Andy's house to bring him to Restoration Church. Once we entered his house, it was like God had prepared his heart for us. Though he was shirtless and hadn't eaten yet, he exclaims,

"I was thinking of coming to Church this week."

            He looked better than ever, happy as a clam. He asks us if it is okay that he eats and meets us there in fifteen minutes. The whole house felt like a great oppression was lifted. We said that would be great and a little while into the service, there was Andy, amidst crazy Christians dancing to salsa-style worship music in between two Gringo's, J.D and I. The sermon was all about the necessity of prayer and how God calls us all to speak with him and pray-very applicable to Andy and us all I thought. So we walked home and Andy says about the girls on team,

"Are those your Girlfriends?"

"No."

Completely perplexed he cries, "?Porque?!?@!@"

Ha, well that is the full story of Andy, he is doing great! Thank you all for praying for him and continue to do so!

            I miss my peeps back home a lot and cannot wait to get back and do some world shaking. You guys have had it easy because a lot of the Panton boys have been out of town. I will return around Christmas time in a whirlwind of lizards and rice and beans. Before this time though, I have to bring up a financial issue that I have. I received an email from David Gross, head of Adventures in Missions saying that I need to raise $480 this month to stay on track with my total funds. Everyone has been great about supporting me financially, and I thank all of you for everything you have given. I trust God on this and if he has put it on your heart to give please do so. 

            Please pray that I continue to search Wisdom from God and pray that he gives me the words to say when needed. Pray for John Rood and his religious meetings with Karl Steen because that is so cool to do in school.   As always, I will continue to pray and thank God for everyone back home, and I will continue to do insane things here in Nicaragua-We're still strong on No Shave November, who's with us??

God reveals himself in nature. Today he spoke to me and I was able to articulate his words on paper.

You Give Life

-inspired by G-man himself

Oh tree,

Oh wonderful creation

You protect me in my vulnerability,

Stretching your arms around me like your maker.

You are rough to the touch, but with

Incentive, you warm the room.

You entertain our youth

Providing adventurous landscape.

Even' if we rip your strong roots

From the soil,

Eliminate your reaching

Grasp,

You are still there to warm us-

All we have to do is ask

"Oh tree, though we took

your life, bring joy to our

family with this gentle spark"

And poof,

            Our world is illuminated with light,

            Joy, comfort, warmth, and best of

            All-life!

            Life! Even in your death you

            Cause life! Creatures Scurry to

            You and undeservingly feed off your

            sacrifice.

            They grow with your nutrients.

            And why not?

            How soft you become now in your

            death, your arms stretch downward

            to the world rather than ever-reaching

            to the sky. Even now I depend on you,

            Using you like a crutch to write

            these words.

Oh tree,

            I look to you and see a giver of life

            Maybe someday you will shelter my

            Family when I become full of years,

            I can only hope.

Dried Up

-Thanks to God

Oh brown Puddle,

You recipient of life--once

Clean, you swallow it into your

Murky depths and shape

Yourself.

People fall into your traps

And curse you!

You ruin people's walks and

Stick in their feet as they

Pass by.

Why don't you dry up and

Evaporate towards the sun,

An ever burning void of

Fire, for one day your

Stream of life will cease

And the clouds will part,

Illumination will then

occur and in time you

will not even hold an

indentation in the land.

In time.

            If you are like my best friend Nate Merrill, then you'd have an appreciation for nature and God's creation. Did you know the Bible promotes those who enjoy his creation? In fact, he commands us to rule over and protect the land. This is yet another amazing aspect of the Bible. It contains such wisdom in how we should live our lives; there are so many verses in the Bible that refer to the wonders of nature that I can't believe it. So all of you free loving hippies, hug trees all you want because it's Biblical, awesome right? Take the next step though and put your faith in God so that you can appreciate more than just nature: Its creator. This allows such a deeper appreciation of things such as a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly, God made this possible just for you to enjoy and marvel at. Praise this creator and you will reap the benefits. He gives power to those follow him, joy to those who praise his name and creation, and wisdom to those who ask of it. I stress this point: Believing IN GOD and accepting his truths in your heart is the first step to enjoying all the marvels around you. Now if you already believe this truth, spend time this week and enjoy what our team has been studying about today: God's creation. If you see something that amazes you, thank Him for creating this and bringing this to your eyes at your own particular moment. It is sweeet.

Explain poem:

To explain my poems, they were both written during an activity in which we were all sent out to find a particular spot in Nicaragua and enjoy creation, analyze it, and find answers about it. It was raining pretty hard outside so I looked through the falling rain and saw a tree, BAM Margera, shelter. I sat down and immediately felt the power of God around me, it was a pretty cool feeling. I prayed and let the pen fly. In the first poem, I was very vulnerable because of the rain, but the tree provided protection so it made sense to write about it. Hmm...this sounds like my creator a bit (thinking in my head). I remember praying then that God would have me write what he willed. Well, the bark is wicked hard, but on the contrary it provides much warmth when lit, so I decided to write about it (keep in mind that through prayer we can break through the barrier of sin and experience his love). I love to climb trees for the thrill and adventure (and serving God is also quite an adventure). In order to make fires and be warmed by trees, we first rip them from their roots and tear them down, killing them. Though we do this, they do not withhold their warmth when we light them with a spark, in fact they heat our homes. The tree I was writing under had many mushrooms and had moss on it, which reminded me that when it is dead, all these things thrive off its body and it gives life! Are you getting the message that God smacked me in the face with? Also, the whole time I was using one of the mushrooms as a pad or a crutch to write my poem, just as we use God as a crutch to speak his words or during hard times.  

God is so much like a tree, it is unbelievable how he reveals himself in nature. We are commanded to praise creation, it is like we are praising God!

Revelation 4:11

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Read Job Chapter 38 and you will be blown away with the divinity and nature of God.

Psalm 24:1-2 The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.

Psalm 65:5-13 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might. You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

John 15:5 " I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." –or he is the tree and we are his branches, possibly?-We need God For Everything.

Matthew 6:26-29 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to your life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these."

That is the first poem, the second is a little brutal, I know, and I was a little scared of it after I wrote it. It is truth though and those who are unsaved are like brown puddles, full of sin. They do not have God's love in their hearts and often cause dissention and violence in communities. We often curse some of these people and when we come in contact with someone truly evil, they stick to us and affect our walks of faith. Sadly for many friends, one day God will stop feeding them life, or in this poem the rain will stop falling, and these people will be brought up and their sins will come to light. Our mark in this world leaves as soon was we die, and those who don't know Christ will have their life, "Dried Up." I hope you guys enjoyed my poems; I will get you more caught up w/what's going on hurr the next blog because God is awesome!

         Ay guys back home in the U.S, what is rockin' the cradle right now? Just a few minutes ago I shared a coffee in the park with some local Nicaraguans and we talked about the tourists walking around, it's so weird because I, a white-tall-blonde Vermonter feel like I've lived here my whole life. How was Halloween? I'm a little bummed to have missed trick-or-treating but we had our own little party here that was pretty solid...the girls dressed J.D Russel as a pregnant woman, Caleb Spitler as a scary old man, Jamie O'Shea as a rainbow, and I'll tell you what I was made to dress as when you are older. Let me know what cool costumes were out there. Shep, you must have dressed like that nice brown haired girl? Josh, fantasia? 

            Anyway, Nicaraguan stories: On Sunday we walk with a whole group of young guys and girls for a program called Vida Joven, which is a youth group (young life), and it is crazy. Probably about 30 kids go and the whole time I am chilling with a cat named Emilio and another named Jose and they teach me Spanish words in exchange for English "slang" words. I am teaching them words like, what up gangsta, homey g, wut up g-slim, basically the classics and they are teaching me words like, Barbados (barbaric), Arbol (tree), and that is all I remember. As we walk, we stop and play games that use Bible verses and sing Christian worship songs in Spanish, "Open the eyes of my heart," and others. At one point we choose different roads, one a rocky road and one a smooth one. Each has different Bible verses along them; it was very cool. We walk up this mountain that has a cross at the top of it and have lunch and Jener, our leader gives a sermon and we sing more songs. It was really great to bond with the kids and to share the Bible with them. Two days ago, we had 50 kids come to Vida Joven and God was really working in many people's lives. We acted out plays with the kids and my group did the story of the healing of the paralytic in Luke 5: 17-26. That night 30 kids went up to get saved! These are guys and girls that have like chains and tattoos and some were living on the streets. It was amazing to see God work in people's hearts like that! Gods love spreads to even the most rebellious people. Please, if you have old friends or know someone that needs God, don't think that he wont change their hearts. 

         I have quite an interesting story to tell about this week. We have been talking about giving up things for God all week in our classes from 9:30am-12. Fasting has been a huge topic, which has a very negative connotation in today's society. I have learned that it is very biblical practice and trust me, if it is a stronghold in your life, give it up and you will be blessed. Every time you think about eating, praise God and pray about whatever you feel led to. Do you have something in your life that you would never ever give up? Coffee? T.V? Video Games? Your family (if all you care about is what they think of you and how you can please them)? Does it hold more priority in your life than God? Really pray about this and spend some time in the Bible and above all, listen to God about this. The reason why I say this is I myself have experienced the extreme fruits from giving up something in my life that I would never give up and have never. If you listen to him he will use it for his glory.

            Well, I hope you all had a fantastic week, Bill O-that is really cool about the "Men's Feast" in the mornings I would kill to cook a pound of bacon with the guys from the church and I will try and mail some strips of dried and salted Nicaraguan lizard jerky for communion only, haha.  Mrs. Marshall, I really appreciate your words, you are the coolest neighbor on the hill~. Mom and Dad, I hope you like the new look, I miss you a lot mah rents. Dad, it is so weird that you mentioned Mom's thanksgiving feasts because I was just telling Caleb Austin the other day that I miss having that like 12 times a year. Mrs. Huff, thanks so much for the comments notebook, it is so encouraging to read.  Also, thank you teachers for your advice on my class, I ended up finding an amazing table that helped me tremendously.  The class went fantastic.  Well, I am going to go and be bald somewhere and have fun with it.  Everyone in the neighborhood loves calling me and the guys "Pelones" –Baldies. 

Peace Ouwwwt Bros and Mos,

-Joseeeee' 

         Well hello each and every one of ya, what is crackin'? To those of you in Vermont, how is the snowfall doing? I hear that the first accumulation wasn't too long ago, and just to let you know I got sunburned yesterday. I actually like the weather these days; the mornings are great for running, the skies are crazy here, and the evaporation from the liquids on the ground due to the heat of the day is cause for comforting rainfall in the evenings, says meteorologist Joe Carter when looking at the storm tracker 36k.

         I have a quick question for all of you studious teachers out there; I am teaching on the past perfect progressive forms of sentences to Spanish-speaking students learning English, how do I do this? This is something that I am trying to figure out, but I have something really cool that I have just found out that I cannot wait to share with everyone. It has been on my heart to write about this all week for those of you who have not understood this subject or as a reminder to others.             

            What do you feel when you hear the word...SuBmIsSiOn...in the Bible? Do you cringe like I used to? Do you think of Colossians 3:18-22, which says, "Wives, submit to you husbands...?" What if a friend who's a girl brings this up in conversation? I picture Rachael Ruggles, who is a friend and women's rights activist, saying, "How can you believe the Bible if it is all about making women submit to their headstrong husbands who are to hold the most esteem in the household?" "It only pertains to the time period," is probably what I would tell her with a little shame in my face. 

            HEY. There is a better response that I just recently learned from a book called, "Celebration of Discipline." Ha, when I first heard of this old fashion, dusty title I thought of the old-style Puritans, Quakers, and those enthralled with the Nunnery. This is not a true assumption. It gives an answer to these people! Here is the text found in Colossians 3:18-22: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as it is fitting to the Lord. Husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them." So wives need to act lowly and submissive to whatever the husband commands and all the husband has to do is love his wife right? Lets read on: "Fathers, do not provoke your children...Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly...Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters..."

This is what Richard Foster thinks about this: 

"What we fail to see is how much submission those commands demanded of the dominant partner in HIS (Paul's) cultural setting. For a first century husband, father, or master to obey Paul's injunction would make a dramatic difference in his behavior. The first Century wife, child, or slave would not need to change one whit to follow Paul's command." 

In Philippians 2:3 it says that if a husband truly loves his wife, living in consideration of her need will follow hand in hand. He will be willing to give into her, freeing him to see her needs as more important as his. This is also true with his children. Therefore, Paul is calling out husbands in a drastic way in regards to the time period where males were completely dominant. As men, we are to make all of our decisions through prayer and love for our wives because the Bible teaches us to do so. If we truly do this, when our wives submit to our decisions, they will not be out of selfish or detrimental motives. WHEW! What a relief this is to know that the Bible calls for equal submission rather than for a power hungry husband. There is more in the chapter about the limits of this submission, for the Bible does talk about this, because some decisions made by people aren't of God. Read Acts 4:19-20 for an answer to this.

Man, I am wicked happy to finally have an answer to the women's rights activists out there and I hope this clears things up for you if you were like me before I read this book.

I had a stellar week, teaching English went very well and I would like everyone to know that I am participating in, "No shave November," so I am going to be bearded soon.

Adios amigos,

(This is last week's blog...sorry it didn't post)

         
         Wow, I just read all the words of encouragement and advice and once again, I am JACKED UP.  It was so much to think about that I set out on the streets and walked through a market and let everything sink in(esp. the part about the army, and getting trained).  It makes me feel so lucky to have God working through me and I am so glad that I have so many friends to lift me up and reaffirm that I am meant to be here.  To answer some of the comments/questions from blogs, people down here are awesome.  It is so refreshing to be greeted with a smile by everyone, including beggars, old ladies, little kids, and gangstas in the hood.  Just because poverty in Grenada is prevalent, people seem content without many things we treasure.  God has been providing numerous opportunities to share my faith because everyone has the same question, "What the heck is a blonde-haired, blue eyed "Gringo" doing living in Nicaragua for nine months??"  Everyone thinks it is great what we are doing and some of the kids we play soccer with have actually asked us what denomination we are and what we believe in.  We have been inviting them to a youth group called, Vida Joven (Young life), and out of the 30 kids in attendance, at least 8 are from the crowd we play soccer with!  I can't wait to see others come and have their lives change from a thug life drug life to living a life for Christ. 

      Well, in current news, the task of eating a lizard is complete.  Last night I caught a wild Nicaraguan Lizard and Caleb Spitler and I ate it after cooking it over a fire that Caleb Austin made by striking flint.  It was quite tribal, we had our shirts off and sharpend a stick to skewer the Nicaraguan lizard on.  I am very glad this task was completed, I woke up with a full head of hair on my chest and the box on my check list coining the phrase, "Eat a wild Nicaraguan Lizard," is finally, after many brutal years of sweating it out, checked off.  I would also like to say that J.D. Russell jumped on the bandwagon and consumed one of the bony legs, props to this man.

        Oh man, here is some awesome news, do you remember me talking about the large Bohemath man that played with us on our National Basketball team?  Well, I had a sense that he needed God in his life because of some of the things he did at the camp, like getting T'd up for slamming the ball on the ground and then proceeding to scream at the ref (which was a very scary time for us all because he's HUGE) and get thrown out of the game.  Anyway, us guys have been praying for him for a while and then, at one of our Bible studies he walked in the door with one of his friends, "La Vaca," quite the character.  This was awesome to see and then to follow this up, Bohemath man Jonathan came by himself on Wednesday morning and after the message, Charles Kay, the head missionary down here, asked if anyone would like to be saved.  I looked over at Jonathan and just prayed wicked hard that he wouldn't be able to sit still and there would be a flame in his heart.  I slowly moved my leg closer to me because it was kind of blocking his path, and HOLY SCHMOKES the man went up and was saved right then and thurr.  What an amazing feeling that was, and later he asked one of my teammates, Baker, about a passage in Romans.

         John Rood, that is so awesome about Steen-doggy dog, he is probably one of the best arguers I know and if you can convince him you can convince any man on earth, "all things are possible through him who strengthens me," you got it.  Josh Carter, good luck at states coming up, you know who you have to beat (fodder-wing).  Mom, I wish you could cook something for me right now I am starving.  Dad, I hope the knee is doing well, I am sitting on no pain at all but I think I broke my big toe like three weeks ago--I was playing soccer and I stepped in front of a kid who was shooting and he kicked me all out right in the big toe, it still hurts wicked bad.  Oh, and thanks for continued prayer, I am feeling much stronger against spiritual warfare but please keep praying!  I am teaching an ESL class for Spanish students learning English an am going to have to cover topics that I have no idea about like Present perfect and weird grammar, should be sweet.  That's it for this week,

Keep the peace at home-

-Jose