Hey my good friends and my fam, what's life bringing to you these days?  I always try and live life as it comes, it eliminates a lot of worry but right now I am pretty stressed, not going to lie.  Life is excellent and God has been working in wild ways but today, a day of decisions and college essays, is stressing me out.  Will you pray that I just rest in the Joy of knowing that I am headed to heaven some time, probably when I am 72.  When I think of this truth, that someone died for me so they could give me life, the choice of a college next year seems a lot less...well...like a terrible, aweful thing.  Enough about me and being an Ophelia (Hamlet lovers, anyone?), what is the United Sates up to?  I hear Obama has decided to not give money to other countries and that everyone with recieve like 3 or 4 g's?  Crazy if that happens, people have been talking about it here in Nicaragua, about how the U.S. is going to stop supporting them.  It's alright because my teammates and I are spreading the love of Jesus around so t'sall good in da hood. 

         Man, it is such a joy to strive and to be in God's will.  John 6:32 says, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread from heaven."  After Jesus says this, a crowd declares, "from now on give us this bread."  What is this bread?  Jesus answers, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."  This is a promise to us that if we follow Jesus, we will be filled!  Another great truth in the Bible is found later in verse 37, "whoever comes to me I will never drive away."  I love this because it gives love to us all, offers the gift of spending eternity in bliss openly, we just need to believe and follow.  In verse 45 it says, "I tell you the truth, he who believes in me has everlasting life."  In addition, Bill O'Neil my brotha from anotha mutha, "He Is able!"  My life here has been a constant drive to trust God in all things and trust that he is able to do alll things--especially healing.  God offers all kinds of gifts for those who have faith and I have been having, as crazy as it sounds, like images in my head as to what to do during prayer and I have been praying that I trust what God is trying to tell me.  Not too long ago I had a vision of myself going into a local Bario and this vision has bloomed into my childrens Bario ministry that is going to be a focus of mine this semester.  A lot of these images come during our prayer in our new, "Prayer House."  I can't even begin to tell you the victories that occur in this little, abandoned house in our back yard.  A brother has spoken that it is a place of refuge for him and this morning, I wrote a college essay with God's help in there. 

         Ministries are swirling around everywhere and I can't wait to begin!  This is our first week of going into our regular schedule.  Tomorrow I am teaching my first ESL (English as a Second Language) class for beginners from all over our neighborhood.  I told Sarah and Jennifer (my partners in this) about what you said Mr. Kessler about how when you teach a class you put up a Bible verse each day without reference and you don't talk about it.  We are going to be doing this, I think it's a sweet Idea.  Oh, and Seth Barnes, our new leader, and I are going to have a royal rumble soon.  He wears thong sandals and told me of a pedicure he got last year in Nicaragua.  I will try and defeat this abomination against all that is good and true in this world.  Mmm, this is really nice, I am listening to last weeks music and sermon Podcast.  Man, it makes me miss the very fine men and women of Panton Community Baptist Church.  Jeeze, Mrs. Rood, your voice sounds like shaniah twain right now or someone pro like that, awesome.  I am singing with you guys in my head right now, "Open the eyes of my heart lord..." very excellent.  Oh, Keith Darwin, there is that truly manly voice, I heard you say, "Just the ladies."  Worship is so cool because we can proclaim our love for our creator in a way that he loves.  It often is a way that I thank him for his unfailing love for us all.

         Well, pray for me, please--that I can learn each day how to better follow God's voice, seriously.  I will pray that God takes care of our church financially and that he rise up followers of his voice too.  AAAH, almost forgot, Mrs. Marshall something great happened to me the other day in my quiet time.  I saw this really cool bird that had dark blue wings and a light blue body--and then one followed the other, there were two--It reminded me of what we talked about the other day and I think this realization was for you.  How is Nonie doing these days, I hear she's getting better each day?  I am sure she is.  Just to let you guys know, Patrick went to his first ever Church service and Bible study and God definately took him from the life he knew and into the world God wanted him to be into.  I believe that God has a special plans for Patricks life, once a drug addict and a loner, he now is at a Christian rehab center.  He is the first American ever to go, and he knows little Spanish.  Please pray that he will let God carry him through this, rather than carry the burden of recovering from years of a cigarette addiction by himself.  If you are reading this and you are carrying burdens by yo' self, dont doo it, let Jesus satisfy you with his love.  I have more to say, but I don't want to write a novel soo... well, peace out, listen to God, drive fast and take chances, don't care what people think about you, and vote Bob Dole.

 

Thanks for reading and for your support, it makes me want to eat mangos and do a tango,

 

-Jose Carter