The perks of not having wifi

Winter has invaded Nicaragua. We are not making snowmen or snow ice cream; it’s hot here and dusty with a chance of rainstorms in the afternoons. We lost power after a thunderstorm that rocked our cement walls and due to complications kissed the internet goodbye for the past 4 weeks at Hope Central. This year we have lived in many places where WiFi is a luxury with only a slim to none chance of sending off an email in cyberspace.  It might sound like a dream come true for parents of teenagers, but having WiFi is our only source of connection with family and friends and business back in the states.

We have bonded over candlelight nights playing music or making up crazy games to keep from going crazy. One evening, we played an aggressive game of “throw the empty water bottle in the cooler.” It was hilarious watching the five of us trying to bounce water bottles off the walls cheering each other on like crazed fans at the Final Four. I’m grateful the internet is back on, and we don’t have to take any more trips (for now) to the cafe for skype dates with loved ones. We experienced our first earthquake a few days ago (6.6) and were able to let our families know we were safe and sound.

I feel awful that my blogging came to a sudden halt and I’ve been so excited to share with you new stories and photos from the field. We have loved serving Project Hope mission teams as host and hostess. The past six weeks we’ve had over 251 mission-hearted people join us building houses and relationships in the village of Mateare. Some fun facts: Roger and I have poured 700 glasses per week of fresh squeezed watermelon, passion fruit, and orange juice and made countless cups of coffee for teams. I’m officially the Hope Central barista perfecting the iced caramel macchiato with only 4 ingredients- fresh brewed coffee, leche, filtered ice and caramel sauce we found at the market. The Gibson family are starting the mission adventure countdown… Only 37 more days to Simply Love in Managua, Nicaragua and we want to make each day count for His glory!

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

Photos: This is a typical casa (home) in Mateare and Project Hope teams come here to build families new homes who lost everything in a flood.