All Good Things...

We woke up early this morning (before 5:00 AM) so that we could be ready to have a little breakfast before leaving Pastor Ed and Ligia’s house before 6:30 AM.  We needed to be at the Bluefields Airport to ensure that we got on our flight.  There were a number of emotional goodbye’s as we have made so many friends and built so many relationships with the people here.  I think we were all surprised to see the tears streaming down Margaret’s face as she hugged each one of us.  Margaret – you have no idea how your actions have affected us as a team.  We hope and pray that your strength of character and faith in God stands firm for a very long time.  Pastor Ed & Ligia have been such gracious hosts – it was very hard to say goodbye to them.  We pray for God’s power to lift you up - each and every day.

The plane we boarded was one of the newer ones for Los Costanzas – it was a twin turbo prop – with about 50 seats.  We even got a beverage service (first time for me that this has happened).

Waiting room in Bluefields

Boarding the plane.

We arrived in Managua to be met by Laroux, who assists SP teams getting in and out of Nicaragua’s capital city.  He had a yellow school bus pick us up and then drop us of at a large market where the girls got to release some of their pent up shopping tension.  Most of the team got back on the bus and went for lunch at a nice place in Managua that served some of the best rice in Latin America (or so I was later told).

Curt, Laureen and their three boys had a special treat as they were able to meet up with their Compassion Canada sponsor child and his mother.  Very few sponsors have the opportunity to meet the children they sponsor.  What an amazing experience this was.

The Blais Family with Gerardo and his Mother

Back to the Hotel for a short swim or nap (or both) before getting ready for our last supper.  It was an amazing meal, out on the deck to enjoy the beautiful warmth of this place.  At the end of dinner, we made our way to a meeting room where we shared with each other some of the high’s and lows of the experience.  There were certainly many more high’s than lows.  We closed the evening in prayer.

Tomorrow is a very early start (need to be up at 3:30 AM), so you will forgive me if this posting is a little brief.

We expect to arrive in Edmonton tomorrow just before 10:00 PM – and are looking forward to being reunited with family and friends.

I’ll post another blog tomorrow from Houston.

Please pray for rest for the team and traveling mercies for all.

(You may want to bring warm clothes for those you are picking up at the airport)

Curt
(for the Nic Team)