Monday, December 4, 2017

Phil.4:19 But my God shall supply ALL your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I'm so excited today that I don't know what to do with myself! You ask why.  Well, about the middle of October  Mario's wife came and told me that they were selling the property. I had until the end of December to live here. Wow!  They had been talking about this for three or four years.  And here people talk alot, but many times they don't do anything. So until you see it, it's just kind of out there somewhere.  Well, lo and behold, it is here.  And to be honest, I really don't know how to describe the feelings that I had.  But I thought well Lord, if my time here is up I'll go home especially if I can't find another house here in Valle.  So I told my friends and my  pastor, etc.  One day not long after, my pastor called and told me that he had found me a house.  So away we went. And of course, we took the worst streets to get there.  Walking, of course.  Most streets here in Valle are not paved, so we're walking forever it seemed on muddy, gutted streets.  There are no drainage ditches to speak of.  Finally we arrived. Sure enough, it was as he told me.  They weren't done building it.  Brand new.  Three bedrooms, kitchen and dining room, two bathrooms  and  a living room.   And it had a carport.  I went there a week or so later and I was able to talk to the construction worker.  He took me through the house.  The only things that it didn't have were closets and cabinets. Bummer!!! Now what? Oh well, not to worry. The Lord remineded me that  I had lived in houses many years ago in the states that didn't have them either.  As I talked to the builder, I found out that he lives in Macuelizo where I teach and that his son is in my 6th grade class.  The Lord surely does do things that we can't even imagine.  It was so funny, because the next day his son gave me that "knowing" look.  It was so cute because he didn't say a word, but his eyes said it all.  And outside, the house has a pila, storage room, and hook ups for the washer and dryer. 

Pastor made an appointment with the owner so that I could meet him. Pastor went with me.  The owner and his wife came and he explained the whats and wherefores and said the house would be ready the 11th of November.  So today, I went and looked at the house. Of course no one was there, but the driveway gate was in place and the walls in front of the house were painted yellow. There are walls all around the property which is normal here but not all will be painted.  There's also a doorbell on the ouside wall next to the metal entry door onto the property. I like that.  So when I got home, I called him. Sure enough the house is mine.  He explained what was going to be done each day this next week.  I finally had to ask him to please speak slower. Bless his heart, he did.  So I'm sooooo excited.  I have this feeling that I have a house that is finally mine!  Strange, I know.  But it's on the outskirts of town the way this house used to be.  And I like country. It's only about a kilometer from the grocery store that I use.  So exercise I will get once more.  Lord, you are so good!!

So now, I have been in the new house for almost a month. What a blessing it is. I'm amazed at all the Lord has done. The colors of my curtains that go so well with the painted walls, etc.  I had to buy 2 beds, a dresser, a refrigerator and a lot of other, smaller things. But thanks be to the Lord that I had the money for all.  And many things were on sale.  It's quite normal for houses here not to have built-in closets and  cabinets.  Jesslyn was preparing to go back to the states for a year or more, and she loaned me her bookcase and other shelves.  So all is well in that area. And I had to buy dishes and silverware. All those things were provided in the old house. I didn't even have to provide my own sheets in the old house! But of course, I did have my own.

Pastor Dago and his wife Martha came one afternoon last week, and Martha planted me some flowers. She wouldn't let me help!  There is some empty  property across the street where trucks have been dumping construction materials. Well, if you walk back to where there is a very small creek, you will see flowers like dumb  cains growing amongst the trash.  Guess what? Yep, I had Pastor go and help me dig a couple up for my yard! Is it stealing? No. There are no signs anywhere saying private property, etc. If so, I wouldn't have the flowers, and the trucks wouldn't be dumping there. 

When we were drinking coffee, Pastor looked at me and told me that the Lord had made this house for me.  I knew it. The Lord truly does prepare the things that we need long before we need them many times. So many of God's people worry about having the things that they need. If we would just believe what He says, life would be so much more enjoyable.  Jesus  told us that the Father knows what we have need of before we ask. And He is preparing for those needs even before we need them.
I'm so grateful for my heavenly Father, Jesus my Savior, and the Holy Spirit that lives within me.  How well they take care of me.

So now, the violence in this country concerning the elections.  I'm thankful that I live here in Valle, because it doesn't usually touch us.  I haven't even seen soldiers here.  We were going to take the 9th graders on their trip last weekend, but we couldn't because many of the highways were closed due to demonstrators.  They even burned the toll booths!  How crazy! But many times, these domonstrations are an excuse to destroy and plunder.  It's kind of like Americans demonstrating against President Trump.  So stupid. It's like little kids throwing tantrums because they didn't get their way.  How sad. So maybe wecan go next weekend, but I doubt it.  We'll be taking them to Tela and Punta Sal. Beautiful places where they haven't been.

Some other sad news.  My dog Brownie died.  Actually, she belonged to the Canaca's, the owners of my previous house. But in her heart and mine, she belonged to me.  Every time that I left the house  even to go to the little store on the corner she would cry.  Sometimes howling! All the neighbors knew when I left my house and when I came home.  And then when I would return, she would start barking and tell me all the news.  When I opened the gate, she would kiss my hands and feet! She would look for me in Becky's car if I wasn't there. It really was pitiful. When I'd go to the states, Wil told me that Brownie would sit at the gate waiting.  She would get depressed.  I had prayed that she would die before I left HN for good.  Sounds horrible, I know. But I couldn't stand the thought of her being abandoned, more or less.  I didn't realize that it would happen when I moved.  Jess called to tell me that she was bleeding from her private parts.  I went immediately to see her.  Evidently, it had started in the night. The vet couldn't come due another case he was on. He told Wil that she probably had a tumor and that it had burst.  She was so weak.  She got up to come to me. I held her face in my hands and we looked each other in the eyes.  I told her she was going to heaven.  She got a small drink before she laid down and never looked up again.  I knew that she was gone.  But the Lord answered my prayer. This dog and I were together for maybe 5 years. And this is from a woman who doesn't like dogs.  Yeah, right. My daughter, Penny, told me one time that you don't pick a dog, they pick you.  I'm a believer.

I'm so thankful for God's goodness to me and for all His blessings. My desire is to see Him face to face and to hear the words, Well done thou good and faithful servant...