Day 4

Day 4

Good Morning World! I’m back!

As has become the custom in room 30… the telephone buzzes and the electronic noises begin. It must be 6:00. I reach over and (Owww.. that still hurts) tell Dede it’s 6 A.M. She says;”Ummmmm Grrrrrrr Arghhhh. At least that’s what is sounded like to me. I know what that sound means. That means; “Listen, I know you think you’re helping me right now… but if you touch me or speak to me again you will awaken Darth Dede (Enter Heavy Vader-like breathing) and she will not e very pleased with you. Not very pleased at all. So I decide the only way to wake her up is to get up myself. So I do. I make my way to the bathroom and leave The light on. (Great trick) I do the ole water thing and make my way to the front of the hotel to hop on the wireless. (How did you think I was posting these… come on people.) I type a few things that had happen and I make my way back to the room. When I got back she was up, on the Light-Side of the Force and already in the shower. Sweet, no force choke!

As we walk around the room and run through the normal application of creams and things we noticed the clock getting closer and closer to breakfast time. We grab our things and head over. I walk in the door and everyone is up and there. We are looking forward to today. Today is medical clinic day. A few guys are going back to the construction site but the rest of us are crowd control for the nurses and pharmacy. Sounds like a boring job but I’ll see what happens. Brittany does devotions and we all pray. It was a great morning to get back and get some sleep. Everyone’s belly is full of watermelon and Gallo Pinto… sounds like a plan… but off to the site we go. We have never been to this location before. The city has chosen this site for us to work on because the people are so poor. They are just as poor as the people where we worked yesterday.

We load up the truck with all the medicines and head over. As we have established, the roads are a disaster. You are on a roller coaster ride just going to the corner store. Well Mike gets in front, the white rental van get in the middle and the GMC is taking up the rear. We arrive at the church and there at least 100 people there waiting in line for us to start. The intersection right in front of the church has a really bad road and I ask Mike… “Will the Suburban be able to get through that mud?” BAM! We all turn around and the Suburban is leaning about 20 degrees to the left as it sinks into a really really big hole. With the mud everywhere you can’t see where it is… but we’ve found it.

One day I will load the video for it but for now here are the pics…

It was wild. I have personally never seen a truck stuck in that much mud. The more they tried to get it out the deeper it suck. It went from a half way up the back right tire to covering the entire wheel. The more it leaned I just knew it was going to flip over. I saw it in my head. The truck on its side and us pushing it down the mud. Some guys come over and helped us push, pull and tug the truck but it didn’t budge. The most comical part was seeing the skin and bones horse walk by us as we desperately try to get this massive horse powered truck out of the mud. Mike tied to try the Suburban to this pickup and pulled but the van didn’t budge. We were quickly running out of ideas. Well, Debra wanted us to get the meds out of the truck and see if that would help. So we unload everything from the vans and setup the pharmacy inside and nurses under tents in front of the church. With there being so many people already there it was a little difficult to get started but we managed to get it going. We had to make sure that each person who would been seen by the nurses had a ticket. It seems cruel to tell a mother with two kids to choose which one gets seen but if we try to see the whole village not only will we run of our meds before noon but we will have nothing left for the medical clinic tomorrow at another village. The rules are there to provide order to the system but compassion also has its place.

After we got the clinic setup we open the doors and started seeing patients. The nurses would see them for about 4 minutes and send them inside to pick up the meds and the next person would come in. With 4 nurses we could move through a lot of people at once. Every now and then a couple of guys try to get the truck unstuck but BAS have gotten fully involved in the clinic. I asked Johnson how BAS were so clam about the whole thing. I guess when there is nothing you can do about it there’s no reason to worry. The only reason we were out there today was because the government choose this location.

We had seen about 50 or so people when large concrete truck drove by. Man, if they can’t get the truck out… nothing can. Everyone started clapping and shouting but… they keep driving by. That sucked. Well pointed for them to help us but they said something and kept going. Oh well… back to the clinic. We have to be buffers for the nurses so they don’t get slammed with 7 people at once but also so that the people get coming. A while later the concrete truck came back and they were here to help this time. The pulled in front of us and started to tie a chain to the Suburban. At the same time a Front End Loader pulled up. We turned around and the Mayor’s personal assistant, who has been with us since we got here, got out of a car and stated asking; “Where’s Mike? Where’s Mike?” Debra come to the front and said that he wasn’t there. She said; “Well, I brought these men and they’re gonna get your truck out.” It was awesome. The concrete truck pulled and pulled and the next thing you know the truck is being pulled right out of the hole.



After the Suburban was free and clear the tractor begin to give the standing water a place to go and smooth out the road. Depending on who you ask they might have made it worst but at least there was a smooth place in the road. You know what, if our truck would not have gotten stuck that road would have never gotten fixed. Some people try to look for God in every little thing that ever happens to them but some people know that God “IS” involved in everything that happens to them. My God loves me enough to want to be involved in everything I do.

A few hours later we are getting ready for lunch and the nurses are ready. We shut the clinic down and head for the back. We are all eating and sharing our stories when this guy comes up to the barbwire and starts demanding a sandwich. We don’t make a habit of giving our food to the locals so we said no. Well, he starts threatening to cut his arm on the barbwire if we don’t give him food. The nurses are screaming “NOO!!” has runs his arms down the wire. Susan stands up and quickly hands him some food. My God man. If all you want is a sandwich, take it. That pretty much ended lunch and we head back to work.

The clinic is back up and going and we have about 120 more people to see. A few really bad patients come through and we’ve done what we can for them. Some are even told to go to the hospital. One little girl, after seeing two nurses, is believed to have measles. Joyce is really concerned. Measles can wipe out whole families, even villages. We get her to the front of the line, pray for her and beg the father to send her to the hospital. Several people have holes and sores that were gangrenous. The nurses would dress them and give them ample antibiotics. It seems like we were dropping spoonfuls of relief into an ocean of pain. But you know what, I thank God for it. One spoonful t a time.

The end of the clinic is approaching and we have seen over 300 patients. The meds are all gone and the patients list has come to an end. Mike has showed up and we are in clean up mode. We make sure the grounds are in better condition than we found them. The Pastor is so happy he can hardly contain himself. It’s been a good day.

We load up the truck and head over to the construction site to pick up the other guys. They are only about 1 mile down the road. We pull up and the guys are all sitting under the shade of a building that wasn’t there yesterday. They have laid the roof on the kitchen and are enjoying the spoils of their labor. It was awesome. They have pretty much built an entire structure in under 16 hours.


We took a couple of group pictures and headed home. The ride home was normal and the skies were clear. For the first time it might not rain on our way home. We unload the truck and head to our rooms. I hit the shower and Dede hits the pool. I hopped online and to send a few posts and them BAM! The wireless drops. I knew instantly what had happen… the power has gone out… and then it begin to rain. I saved what I was doing and went to check on Dede. Just as soon as she got to the room we lost power. We get ready for dinner by laptop light. As were heading over we’re sure that power will be out till at least 10:00 P.M. The kitchen is nice and hot but the food is good. We had some “Bobs” and some Gallo Pinto… of course and get ready for debriefing.

The debriefing was good. Everyone talked about their stories for the day and how well we all work together. It really has been a nice group to work with. We just gel. A few bumps along the way but overall we really do gel well. Ha Ha. Gel well.

The power is still off so we all kind of hang out and talk but eventually Dede and I head off for bed. I stay up for a second to finish writing and then hit the bed. I asked Dede if all the lights would turn on when the power came on but she didn’t know. After I was in the bed for about 30 minutes… every light and the A/C turns on. It scared me half to death. Thank God for the other half. I got up and turned everything off and went back to bed. It’s been a good day. Good night for now.

Nes

Day 3

Day 3

Good morning.

It’s about 6:00 AM and my phone has done its part. Dede is not feeling too hot. She took some meds last night to get over the pain from those holes. I think the pain is gone but the drugs are still there. We finally get up and start our morning routine. Wash your face, make sure your mouth is closed. Brush your teeth, use the water from the bottle, etc, etc. Breakfast is about 30 minutes from now so we turn on the tube to see what’s happening in the world. It’s seems as though everyone is now speaking Spanish. It’s the new black. We find a CNN news channels and see the wildfires in Greece and the jazz concert in Afghanistan. Both which are big deals. One is the destruction of history and heritage; another is the birth of them. But nevertheless; the TV landed on Star Wars IV, in English. Sweet. We watch little bit of it and head down to the kitchen.

We get there and I’m amazed that we have all gotten along so well. At least by now little personality things start to appear but it’s really been a pleasant trip. We wait for everyone, or at least most of everyone, to show and we let the games begin. A little grace and we are there. We have pancakes, fruit and… of course… Gallo Pinto. They have a little cereal section as well today. Nice touch. Over breakfast MAD tell us that the government and the power companies are in a little fight so most of Managua and its surrounding cities are going through rolling blackouts. The power is getting turned off from 2:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. every weeknight and then changing to 5:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. every other week. It might hit us today but we will have to see if it’s a 2:00 week or a 5:00 week.

When breakfast is over we all have devotion and today is Zanta’s day. She was nervous but she did very good. After that all gathered and prayed over the day’s work and headed out. We have about 30 minutes to get the rest of our things and be at the trucks. Dede and I head back to the room and apply all of the many creams and sprays we brought with us. Afterwards we head to the bus and load up the tools for the day. All of the post digger are hurting. I wasn’t until Johnson grabbed my shoulders and said; “How does that feel?” (Insert evil laughter) Then I was hurting for the rest of the morning. Well load up and take off.

The ride is always going to be the ride. Nothing we can do about that. When we get there we all man our stations. The same people pretty much head for the same things. As Dede and I approached the ends of the property with Mike in front of us with a truck bed full of lumber we know that today will not be an easy one. We gather the tools and begin to dig. Oh my God! It hurt so bad. I wasn’t hurting yesterday… today I’m hurting. I shoulders are in absolute pain. I can barely finish one hole with bending over in complete pain. Dede is the same. She looks at me and says; “Baby, I don’t think I can do this all day.” I totally know what she means. Johnson and Brain finish nailing down four lines of barbwire on the post we laid yesterday and them head our way. Johnson looks at me and say; “Bro.” I know what he means to.

After about four holes we had to stop and rethink this things. Even without the pre-dug holes we were moving a lot faster yesterday. We all thought the rain would help but now the dirt is 10 lbs heavier. Well, that goes that idea. Mike must have seen the lack of progress because he sent three or four locals over to help us. Can you say, “Thank You Jesus.” The helped speed up things. While we were working we got to talk to them a lot. Alexander, one of the guys, is really cool. He tried his best to speak to us in English. It was quite funny to see what he knew from American culture. He knew that Barry Bond uses steroids and Beckham was playing in California. Yes, it all had to do with sports but he also had an Aunt that lived in Chicago. I taught him how to say “Windy City” so the next time he sees his Aunt he can make her smile.

The day was long and lunch was short. We had turkey and cheese and was loving it. We took a lot of pictures and tried to connect with the people today. The locals were hitting it hard and getting the post done really. While we were doing the fence the other guys were steady building the kitchen. It looked amazing. They got more done in one day then anyone every thought possible. The frame was done and the roof was ready for nailing. Today has been one of the most productive days ever… No I mean ever… really…

After lunch the post were done so I made my way inside for some pictures. Each day I have taken over 300 pictures. What can I say. I want proof. Well after some great shots of the clinic I found myself drawn to the dental area. OMG! I saw things! I smelled things… that should never be spoken of. But what the heck. There we people in that chair that had some of the worst teeth you’d ever seen. One mad had teeth so bad that Lyn didn’t even use Novocain. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even use tools. She just pulled them with her hands. That’s how loose and dead they were. One guy Lyn had to ask him which tooth he ate with so she could leave that one in. He only had 5 left to start with. It was bad. But he wanted 2 of them gone. He said they hurt; so out they came. To be honest they all needed to come but then he wouldn’t be able to eat. Trips like this force you to see that no matter the country, no matter the nationality… we are all the same. We all need the same things and if one of us can help the other then why on Earth wouldn’t you do it.

We loaded up to leave and the kids cleaned up around the church. I don’t know if you got that… they cleaned up. These kids live in abject poverty. Everything around them is filthy. Is not uncommon to see adults eat something and throw the wrapper on the floor. That’s the way they are… but here… they’re cleaning up after themselves. This is why we’re here. This is why we came. To not only give them something to be a part of but something to be proud of as well. They love this church. They have accepted it as their own and they want it to be clean. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

As we are pulling away the children are waving and running after the bus. We can literally feel the love of Jesus, that we’ve tried so hard to pour onto them, leap of off their faces. What a day it’s been. What a day it’s been.

We ride back to the hotel, hit the showers and head for dinner. We have a nice quiet meal and then headed over to the debriefing. MAD and Ben and Susan are all astonished at the amount of work that has been done. Ben said that they would have never ever imagined we would be this far this soon. You can really tell that God is on our side. It’s been a great trip. A few people have gotten on my never but I’m sure I’ve done the same. Mike made an ice cream run for us and Dede went with him. Maybe one day she will tell us if anything happen while they were gone. When they got back Johnson, Brian and myself were all out talking and having a good time. I stayed up for a while to write this and then went to bed. A few people had the great idea to jump in the pool but the rain put an end to that fun. After a while I headed to the room and called it a night. Wow! I wonder what tomorrow holds.



Nes

Day 2

Day 2.


Dede and I got up about 5:45. The hotel will send you a wakeup call if you are brave enough to ask for it in Spanish over the phone. We pull ourselves out of bed and begin our day. You can’t use the water from the sink to brush your teeth so we have bottled water that we pour onto our tooth brushes. It makes things a little more “entertaining” for you. Dede and I have sweet room. It’s a lot bigger and nicer than the one we got last year. Thank you MAD. Both Dede and I can actually be in the bathroom at the same time now. Sweet huh?

We get dressed and make it over to breakfast… fruit, pancakes and of course Gallo Pinto. It’s buffet style so we all line up and dig in. The coffee here must be great because everyone is lining up like they’re giving away free paternity test for James Browns kids.

After about half an hour I notice that Johnson isn’t there. I ask Mike had he seen Johnson and he said; “He’s always late to eat.” Well, late is one thing… he’s about to miss breakfast altogether. So, I find Greg, an awesome guy I meet a few years ago from Jacksonville who is rooming with JB this year, if he’s seen him. He said when he left the room Johnson was still in the bed. Uh, oh. That man is a night owl but I don’t think mornings are his thing. Greg and I leave to go get him and find him we do… smothered between 4 pillows, two sheets.. knocked out cold. Johnson! Johnson! Johnson!!… He pops up… Huh? We catch him up on a few important details… Breakfast is ready, you’re about to miss it and that’s gonna suck for you!” He makes his way to cafeteria as everyone else is leaving and enjoys a quiet breakfast with the hotel cooks.

We all head back to our rooms and make our final preparations for the first trip out. Ben and Susan, the missionaries who live here, are looking great and we see one of their three girls coming down the sidewalk as well. She’s gotten so big. We brought each of them a little gift. What girl doesn’t like lip gloss.

We head over to the loading area; we have a lot of things to bring. We pack in the vans and head out. As much as I like to ride out with Debra, Mikes driving is a bit rough, we had to get into the pickup with Mike at the helm. The trip out was a rough one but it wasn’t Mike’s fault. The rains from the day before have really done a number on the roads. We are up and down like a roller coaster; just without the Carnie. (small hands) We made it to the same place in Sandino where we turned around yesterday and it was nice and dry. We all made it through. It’s still another 30 minutes from the “wash” to the base so we have a nice little ride in front of us. After we get their MAD have to give a little orientation to the new people.

It’s really great to be back but the base looks bad. The fence that once surrounded the land has been taken down, the house that was connected to the church has been removed and the grounds have car and bike tracks everyone. The horses have used the grass as their personal bed pan and it stinks… a lot.

MAD explains that the missing items were all taken by the man they had to have removed from the property. The third world can be a back stabbing place but thank God we have Christ on our side. Everyone separates into sections and all get our hands ready for work. Ben and Susan had already told us that the men would be working on the construction; so away we went. I headed over to the fields with Mike, Johnson and Brian. Mike told us that the previous guy took the fence post down and now the field has become a pass through for cars, trucks and bikes. As he was talking all I could do was think; “Oh my Lord!” Well as we surveyed the land we noticed that there were holes in the ground already. Sweet! Well, we decided to go with the holes that were already there; they just needed a little bit of dirt removed.

Well, Mike knew that it wouldn’t take very long for us to get the post in the ground so we decided to milk it. He told us to get the post in and tell all the women that we dug up and planted 30 post in 30 minutes. Well, it’s true, we did have to dig them and we did have to plant them… just not 4 feet down. Well it worked. We finished and the lady’s were amazed. We were praised from the rooftops and paraded on their shoulders throughout the city… well… not really… but they did think we did a good job.

After the thrill of the easy job was over we had to move over to the un-dug ground. Can you say solid, solid, solid, solid.. solid as a rock, rock , rock, rock. I picked up one of the large metal poles to stab the soil and it stuck straight up and it vibrated like I had just jabbed a steal pipe. I can still hear the sound of my teeth chattering now. Wow! Well, thank God we only have to do about 40 holes cause anything else would be too much. 40 holes! Yep, 40 holes. We tagged teamed on a few and work solo on others. It was so stinking hot that the soil that was soaked from the morning was dusty dry now. The local kids helped us lout a little but we did most of the work.



While we dug the holes Brain and Jennifer would come up behind us and fill them in with dirt from across the field, packed it in and prep the post for the barbed wire. After hours and hours in that sun not only did we finish all the holes on the back and left side of the property but the barbwire was up and several cars and bikes had turned around and found other ways through then the church field. Come on Jesus! Talk about multiplying the work. This is only day 1.

The other guys on the construction team kicked butt and took names. They got a huge start on the rebuilding of the kitchen. The pervious guy also took the house we built him that was attached to the church. Yep. He told MAD that he came up the day before he was getting removed and someone had taken everything. The truth is he called his buddies and they all came and helped him loot the church for everything it had. They even took the wood off the walls. Johnson and I were talking and he said; “Can you imagine the account this guy will have to give in Heaven for this?” Talk about not fearing God. Whew!

Well the ladies had been at work inside helping with the children and the feeding program that Ben and Susan (who will be known from here on out as BAS) do every week. While some were inside doing puppet shows and singing songs others were outside cooking well over 400 tortillas. They were tortilla making machines. They also had to assist with the prep for the lunch. It was some kind of rice and chicken dish. The only problem was the fire wouldn’t stay hot. After a while the locals starting adding some interesting items to the flame to keep it going… random cardboard, papers from the street, old tennis shoes. Whatever it takes, right!

After the children were feed, the fence was up and the construction was at an amazing start it begin to rain. A welcomed stop sign to our intense first day. We loaded everything up and headed home. With pains running down most of our entire bodies it was a quiet ride home. The most exciting part of the trip was praying that we would make it through “the wash”; the low, dirt filled, rushing water section that we couldn’t cross yesterday. Needless to say we made it but it was intense. Theirs is always a sigh of relief when we finally leave Sandino and make it back to the paved roads of the city. It’s not a safety thing… just a … I won’t have to get out and push thing. You know…

Well we are riding with Debra because Mike wanted to drive the van with all the people back himself to make sure they made it through all the dirt roads. Well, Debra wants to stop at La Union; and that is fine with me. I love that store. It’s like a small Kroger or a very small Wal-Mart. I think it’s actually owned my Wal-Mart. Well, we go inside and we get a few things, Hani-Snack Pudding and some Ruffle chips. Hello America. Hmmm. Dede get some Bimbo bread and we call it a day. The lady at the counter rings us up at over 156 cordabas. Since the exchange rate is currently about 18 to 1; the price was only about $8.66. We pay and head back out to the rain. About time we make it home there is just enough time to shower, sit a minute and head to the kitchen to eat.

At dinner we have Gallo Pinto and skis-ka-bobs. I was blown away. I’ve never had “bobs” down here. Sweet. Well, we could only get one and there aren’t going to be seconds, I can guarantee it. Well, dinner was nice and MAD say they want to have a debriefing under the center canopy. He promises it will only be 45 minutes. We head over and we are ready to move. Dede is in a good amount of pain. She worked hard out their today. She deserves to be tired. MAD opened it up for anyone to talk about what “wow” moments they might have had. A lot of good stories came up and we all enjoyed it. At the end of the meeting we give out the Bulls Eye awards based on hard work and team efforts. It was funny when Phillip won it for calling Mike the “coolest missionary” he’s ever known. When someone gets the Bulls Eye award MAD will say their name and we all will say… ______ you got the bulls eye. (You have to be there.) The meeting last about 43 minutes and we are all pooped. Dede goes to Nurse Jenny and gets some meds for her pain, I showed Johnson my 486 pics from the day and I blog until my eye lids revolt against me.

Tomorrow is another day and we will be at it again. This time we will dig and post up the final side of the base and run the barbwire to it. Dede wants me to set the alarm but I think I’m gonna use the alarm on the phone… so let’s see how it works. I think it will wake me up but I really don’t to get left here. Mike will leave you. Don’t get it twisted. It’s time to go to bed. Good night everyone. See you in the morning.


NesBuy hey, I could be wrong... let's have pie.

Day 1

Day 1.

Dede and I did some last minute shopping and headed home. The plan was to be done packing and maybe even hit the bed before midnight. Well, it’s about 8 PM and boom!!! The lights go out. This sucks. Have you ever packed for an international flight… now have you ever done it in the dark, with a paranoid dog, in a hot house, with a slightly scared wife… I think not. This might be a human kind first. (Yippee for me.) Well the power is out for about 45 minutes to an hour. We are behind the power curve. We pack like mad people and are done by 10. Not too bad. Not too bad at all. Well, since the power went out we had to restart the washer and wait for that to finish before going to bed and then we had to write out a detailed note on how to take care of the “Queen Mother.”


Queen Mother Bali (The First)


And believe me the list is long. Bali’ism’s are no laughing matter. (we miss you baby!!) KP is our sitter and that in itself is a little nerve racking. Well, we leave a copy on her bed and give 3 to SP. You can never be too sure. We hit the bed around 12ish and set the alarm for 4. Well, 4 comes a knocking sooner than Johnson can say… “What’s Up With That!” I try to wake Dede but she’s not moving; so I wait. 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes pass by and she is not getting up… so I lean over and say; “You getting out of the bed sweetie?” She finally wakes up and says; “Uh?” I explains to her what time it is and the fun begins.

The tradition is to meet at Denny’s about an hour before we have to meeting in the parking lot. We have to be there at 6:00 AM. It’s a good time and we can make sure that people are up. Well it’s already 4:30 and we’re just waking up… yeah we gonna be late. A little running here, a little scrambling there, a little makeup here and we’re off. It’s approx 5:15 but we’re heading to Denny’s… regardless of the fact that we’re supposed to be at the parking lot at 6. We get there and two of our friends are already there. We decided to place a To-Go order for speed sake but we get the slowest waiter in the Western Hemisphere. Hey, Denny’s waiter guy… if you ever read this… “What the heck man! Come on! It was an order of French Toast and a scrambled egg!” We make it to the parking lot about 6:20 but it’s ok because they’re moving slower than the Director’s Cut of “Dances with Wolves.” We finally get all packed and loaded and we’re heading to the aero-port.

Hartsfield was the same ole, same ole… lots of people crammed into little cattle lines while being chastised by angry woman in tight blue outfits. The airport has the unique ability to break down the most respectable, dignified man and woman… and make them cry. We all make it though the baggage and security. One of the teams member did disappear but we assumed that she probably went to the gate without us so we left someone at the checkpoint and headed down starts to find her; and find her we did. Yeah! (And there was much rejoicing.)

We all hung around till our plane arrived where we watched Spiderman III as our in flight movie. (I liked it… Sorry James) The plane trip over was mostly uneventful with exception to a few rough patches that Dede didn’t too much care for. When we landed we all had our 5 dollars to get the country and all of our bags showed up. Talk about favor of the Lord. I can tell this is gonna be a great trip. A worker from the Nicaragua Department of Health is there to collect us… which is great cause we don’t see Mike anywhere. She passes us through customs like Angelina Jolie at a Kenyan adoption agency. We make it outside and there is Mike and Debra Turner… what a sight for sore eyes! We load all of our luggage, cram into two vans and head on to the Hotel Ticomo (Which is where I’m writing this from.)

We all unload the cars, get our rooms and do a little debrief. Mike and Debra (Who will be known from here on out as MAD) gather us together and tell us that they feel led to take us out to Sandino, one of the poorest areas of Nicaragua, to do a prayer walk around the property. We haven’t been there since the first trip and we are ready to see it. They had some legal problems with the man they put in charge for about a year and a half but now that he’s gone it’s ours again. Well, just as we are gathering; the rain moves in and the sky breaks in two. Man, it’s raining like this is the last rain and the Lord has broken His promise. (Gen 9:11) MAD tells us that the rain might just hold us here because the roads are all dirt and the rain turns them into flood plains; especially in one particular area. We wait to out for a while and MAD puts it to a vote… Leave and turn around if it gets to bad or stay and work on some other stuff. We vote to go. Well the roads were a complete disaster. The waters are moving like rivers down mud roads and two taxis are already stuck. After a 30 minute trip we turn around. It was worth a shot. We make it back to the hotel and unpacked the items we brought (Vitamins, Shampoo, Tools, Dental equipment, etc ,etc.)

Dinner (Gallo Pinto) is serve and we all have a good time. Dede signs me up for devotion on Thursday and we head to bed. Believe it or not it’s only about 9 and we are beat down. Must have been the flight.

Dede and I unpack our things, take showers and call it a day. Breakfast it at 6:45 AM. I tried to call Sprint to find out why my phone isn’t doing what they said it would do but after an hour or so I gave up and called it a night. I even had to call SP to have him transfer me to Sprint. I was rough there for a moment. I eventually found out that the Data Service I was looking for doesn’t work here. That sucks. Oh, well. It’s been a long day and I’ve got to get some sleep. Tomorrow is the first full day of work and it promises to be a long one.

Day 1 is over. Now let the fun begin.

On My Way...

Well for the next few days I will be in Nicaragua. Specifically Managua, Nicaragua. This will be our third year to the mission’s field and we are ready to go. Things haven’t been going the best at work and we’re both looking forward to a change of scenery. You know, I haven’t been very pleased with the advertising and preparation for this trip but it’s here now; no need in crying over spilled milk. And yes; I mentioned it but the same thing that happens whenever you try to mention something that hasn’t been going well to the person who is responsible for it… they expect YOU to change it. I think that’s a total cop out… and bunch of crap. (I feel I can be real with you.) I mean, come on, you’ve been there. You see something that isn’t and hasn’t been working so you decide to say something about it. You know, unlike all those other people who notice but don’t give a crap or just don’t want to get involved… so they don’t say anything… anything at all. Well you say something and the person you talk to gives you the ole… Well maybe you’re just the person to help change that. What! Just because I had the guts to tell you to your face, instead of talk about you behind your back like everyone else is, I’m the person to fix it. This is your baby, not mine. I just happened to like excellence in the things I’m involved in. I have plenty of ideas about how to run this nation… I don’t see D.C. knocking down my door. Why. Because just because I see something wrong doesn’t mean I suppose to lead a committee on how to fix it.

Come on leaders! Stop doing that. Take responsibility for your areas of influence and lead. When your people come to you with problems… be man enough, be woman enough to say; “You know what… you’re right. That area does need a little touching up. Thanks for coming to me. You don’t know how much that means. I’m gonna start looking into ways to make this thing better. Thanks for your input.” Actually show them that you are listening and give them some respect. Don’t throw the problem back in their face and say; “Well you fix it.” “Well, you might be just the person who could…” That’s the same as saying; “Well, if you’re so stinky awesome… you take a swing at it.” Stand up, take your humble pill for the day and accept criticism from someone not “higher” then you. (Whatever that means.) And after you’ve accepted some responsibility you can “ask” for their help. Just say; “You know, while I’m working on this do you mind if I give you a call and pick your brain a bit… you know throw around some new ideas. I’d love you hear what you’ve got to say.” This is both honoring and allows them to say yes or no. So…… since that rant is over… Nicaragua. Yes. Dede and I will be there so… look forward to more and more awesome stories from the 3rd World.

Smell ya lata!

How Much of Me is Enough

So how many of you have grown up like me and seen the commercials about the Boys and Girls Clubs of America? I loved watching the kids who had nothing to do and no one to do it with it suddenly step into this whole life if fun and excitement after getting a Big Brother or Big Sister to spend some time with. It was magical, it was heart warming... it was a slick sell to boost the volunteer base of every organization in the great US of A. I think the Peace Corps, the Marine Corps... even the Medical Corps own a great deal to this video. Where would Macy's would get all of it Santa Claus's each year. Well, nevertheless, the point was made. Volunteer, give if your time and the whole world will be a better place.

Well, in today’s fast paced world where we overemphasize, let's see... yeah... everything, volunteerism has gotten out of control. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for giving of myself but just like my Uncle (by marriage) Battlecat use to say... "all things in moderation, boy." or was that Paul the Apostle. Oh, I get them confused all the time. Anyways... We have all but removed the human side of volunteerism and have turned it into something that really closely resembles “guilted indentured servitude.” Unlike pure slavery; only the chains of "how many people you will let down" hold you firmly in place.

I freely give approx 12-15 hours a week in some form of volunteerism. And I do it all in the name of Jesus. Why, because I can look back at who I used to be and know that anything I can do to help others get to know and fall in love with the Man Christ Jesus is worth its weight in gold. He died for me; the least I can do it lay down my life for him. My only question is how much of me is enough; not for the Lord but for His service? I know he wants “all of me” but what does that really means. See, if "all of me" means every waking second then I shouldn't even be talking to you right now. If "all of me" means my free time then I would never do anything for Him. How much of me is enough; or should I say good enough? At what point can I say; "You know what, I really don't think I have the time to add one more role to my plate? I know this is important but I really don't think I'm the one to head this up." I once heard a man say; "If you can't say "no" then your "yes" means nothing. I completely agree but why doesn't everyone else. Why are we, even in the church of Jesus Christ... no!! not the Latter Day Saints....(someone will ask)... made to feel bad, Sub-Christian for not being at every event, play in every position and making face every time the doors open. I don't know. I don't know and I don't like it. And I don't like it one bit. And I think it’s wrong.

Buy hey, I could be wrong... let's have pie.

When Desperate Times Call For...

A few years ago I didn't know a lot of people and I tried to hang out as much as possible so I could make some friends. Well, I remember one faithful day when I was invited to hang out with a bunch that wasn't exactly "my type." Now, I'm not snoody but we all have people that we don't 100% get along with. Well, this group has like 5 of those people in it all at once. Between the cackling, geeky jokes and prima donnas it was enough to drive a grown man insane... but I didn’t have any friends. Maybe I just need to relax and get in where I fit in. Maybe I ought to just go with the flow. So I decide to go with them to Discover Mills Mall. Everything is fine until the plans changed. We all get there and for some reason, my mind seems to have blocked some of the incident away… probably for my own good, “someone” makes the decision that we really all ought to go to one of their homes and watch a movie instead. OK, now you’re pushing it. I’m fine with you in public but now I have to go to your lair, I mean home. Grrrrr. And to make matter worst “someone” decided that it would be best if we all carpooled. Now I don’t know about you, but my momma always taught me; “If you go somewhere take your own car… so when you’re ready to leave… you can get up and go.” I said; “Guys, you know what I’m gonna take my car.” They were like no, no, ride with us. I was like; “Naw, don’t worry about it. I’ll drive myself. There’s not enough room in there, anyway.” They were like; Come on. Come on.” It got to the point where if I resisted anymore I would look like a real jerk. So… I got in the car. My spidey sense is going nuts as we pull away from the Discovery Mills Parking lot and I can see nothing but bad images running through my head.

We make it to the house and things are worst then I ever would have expected. The normal annoying behavior that drove me crazy was now somehow magnified now that we were behind closed doors. It was my own personal prison cell. I wanted to believe that as soon as the movie started (Which will remain unnamed... you know.. to protect the parties involved) all would be well but somehow deep inside I knew that just wasn’t true. I made it through the previews and opening credits and awwwww the movie… “Cackle, Cackle, Cackle! Blah, Blah, Blah. Ha, Ha, Ha. My brain! My brain is melting and I’m about to snap. Something, something wrong, something vile, something really rude is about to come flying out of my mouth towards everyone here. Quick. Think of something. Think of something now. And like the first flower of Spring, like the brightest rainbow you’ve ever seen… I get an idea. I take one of the pillows from the couch, lay it behind me and proceed to pretend to be asleep.



I lay there for the entire 175 minutes; motionless and emotionless. I hear the entire movie but dare not move. I hear them say; Man, Avery just passed out. Why didn’t he just stay home.” I wanted to stand up and say; “Why didn’t you just let me drive my own car. I would have left 174 minutes ago.” but that would have ruined the whole thing. I tell you what; after 6 years in the Marine Corps, trained to kill and avoid hostile forces at the drop of a hat… I had to resort to pretending to be asleep. It was a sad day in military history.

Have you ever done anything to get out of a sticky situatiton? Oh, come on. What's your story?

I can see cleary now

Well hello everyone. I know, I know. I'm not setting a good track record by not posting for the last few days but let me explain. A few months ago the Ministry School Director, from which I just graduated, call me up and asked me if I would be interested in teaching at the next class. Now anyone who knows me knows that I wouldn’t pass that up for anything; so I said yes. Well, I was scheduled to teach some time in October and a few months to prepare. Well a few days later Pastor Johnson called me and asked me if I wanted to preach a two part series at Fusion in a few weeks. Well, of course I do. Come on Jesus! Now, I know what you’re thinking; you can’t say yes to everything, don’t over commit yourself, you’re wearing your shirt inside out again (Oh, thanks)… but these were like 3 months apart from each other. It’d be fine. (Famous last words)

Well do to a series of unfortunate events the school lost a first quarter teacher. Whose up, you got it. Da Nes. (You have to say it like… Da Bears!)



So now I’m teaching at the school right in the middle of my two part series at Fusion. You talk stress! OMG! You don’t know stress till you have to prepare a sermon, preach that sermon, prepare for a class, teach that class and the very next day prepare and preach another sermon. I was moving at light speed and so was the clock on the wall. It would go from 9:25 AM to 5:15 P.M. like it was no body’s business. But you know what at the end of it all I must say that really helped me. I felt like both services went well and the class went even better. Even though I love to preach I am much better teacher then a preacher. Some people can do both but I really think that’s where I excel. Oh, well. More to come…

Buy hey, I could be wrong. Ahh, who cares... let's have pie.

Now That That's Over...

Well, the first of many has been launched and life has become a whole lot more interesting. With my introduction to the World Weird Web I have a whole new mode of communication which to express the multiple dysfunctions that reside in my brain housing group. (old USMC pun).

Today, I'm a single day. SP and PP, friends we live with, have gone to see their new adopted daughter; HP. Their other daughter, KP, is with another family for the day and my wife is at a mentoring meeting with a few hundred other women. So... that leaves me with the JRT. And I must say… I’m loving it. Now don’t get me wrong; I love my family. My wife is the greatest, awesomest, bestest thing that’s everest happen to me… but who doesn’t like a little “me time.”

What do you do for me time? I guess I write blogs. I need to be writing messages, class lessons and maybe even an opening chapter to book but… I’m not. I’m to talking you… and I think we’re having a great conversation.

Well I'm heading downstairs to what can only be described as SP's very own bona fide “Man Cave.” It’s complete with John Wayne knife and all. Not how many of you can say that... didn't think so.




Buy hey, I could be wrong. Ahh, who cares... let's have pie.