Hey everybody!  What's kickin' in Vermont or at college or out of state?  I can't believe how many people read my blog and how many responded, it really pumps me up and it's awesome to be able to share what God is doing in my life and I love sharing my wild adventures.  Thank you guys for so much support too, it feels awesome having good old Panton Community Baptist Church, relatives and friends with me and praying for me on this trip.   

        I am still shakin' the jungles hurr, in fact I just returned from a basketball camp in which Caleb Spitler (aka Dirk Nowiski, Baker (pepe), and I just spent the last three days at a camp in the Matagalpan mountains playing on the Granada National Basketball team (through the Young Life, youth group, program), which was like a dream.  On the team were 11 other Nicaraguans and one Bohemath man who looks like that giant Native American guy in One Flew over a Coo Coos Nest.  We played five games and lost to the champions of Chinendegua by one point!  Man, the food was crazy too, we ate a lot of their local products and fruits like beans, rice, plantains, and had homemade coffee--the best coffee I have had in my life.  The weekend was fantastic, we built really good relationships and got made fun of a lot and also had the opportunity to share our testimonies and how God can work in people's lives.  I cannot wait to see these guys around in the neighborhoods and talk to them and invite them to youth groups or just flash them gang signs because they are hood.

         The other day I thought Thanksgiving was in two weeks, man I guess it has been a long time out of the U.S. What is Vermont like these days?  Is the political race still nasty to watch?  I'm going to vote for Bob Dole.  Shep, I hear you finally beat the kid who has been smoking you, what was the race like?  Joshwa, playing made me really miss varsity bball w/choo, hows ya game and hows Walden?  Lindsey my sis, I wish I could go to Barns and Noble with you and read books all day--oh wait, that sounds like the worst idea I have ever had.  Ha, but are you still going to Alaska and how is your bartista going?  Madre y Padre, le amo y le echo de menos and I hope you are rockin' the casban.  I miss everyone back home and other places, and I miss everyone at church, I tell people all the time about how accepting and friendly we are to everyone, even if it's someone w/deer guts on their shirt--Andy Recoupero, or anyone new, and Mrs. Marshall, i'll never forget how great you and Mr. Marshall were when I brought a past girlfriend to church a few years ago and you hugged and loved her, I was so proud of my church for that.

         So some more current news if you will, tomorrow we are going into classrooms and teaching english to little Nicaraguans, I am reading the book of Mathew and am amazed of the power of God, we will have street soccer games scheduled the next few nights with the neighborhood, I have been running with Mario the Magnificent runner every morning at 6(which really makes me feel for you Mr. Keyhoe and Larry back home getting up at like 1 am to work, that is amazing), we spend our mornings from 9:30-12am every day spending alone time with God and reading the bible and having class, tuesdays us guys visit a rehab center, and the rest of the week we are either using machetes at the El Puente church or spending time with the communty, spreading the word of God.  Hey, please pray for me to grow and continue to pray against spiritual warfare in my life.  God is guuud.  This time at church, give Pastor Nathan a firm hand grab for all his help and guidance before my trip! 

 

Peace OuWWWt-

 

-Jose Carter